Guidedog Pts...

[mantis]

It seems a waste of an guide dog, however as the owner of an animal, you have every right to request it be PTS.

Doesn't make it right, or decent.

I know I'd consider taking some of mine to the grave. Perhaps I don't think that my dogs could be cared for the way I do or I don't want to risk them ever ending up in an unhappy place.

Exactly, my kids knew that if I died before Kenny that they had to have him PTS. Apart from him suffering from severe separation anxiety, he also was FA & I couldn't risk him going to a home that didn't know how to handle him.

[redangel]

Sorry to hear such a wonderful animal got such a poor return for its investment. Guide dogs are just gold. Personally I think that such a final wish was selfish, filled with ego ( or poor judgement) and was poor justice for such a valuable animal.

The irony that this dog enabled her to have a life and in reward she took its life from it.

[Guest donatella]

I can sympathise to people putting down older unrehomable dogs when they die to save them the torture of shelters and possibly not being rehomed. However being a trained guide dog, young with potential to be homed and obviously a supportive family to follow out her wishes, this act wreaks of selfishness.

So while this dog is PTS way too early, another blind person is struggling to live day to day and waiting for an opportunity of a dog.

Disgusting.

[Jed]

Maybe Cruel because it potentially took away an assistance dog from someone who otherwise may not have gotten one?

The dog was owner trained. It couldn't have been re-allocated to another blind person.

I didn't see that in the article. Where is it?

I also wonder whether a 5 year old guide dog would be safe with a new owner, and the previous owner may have known - from experience with the dog - that it would not settle elsewhere. A guide dog would have more connection with its owner than most ordinary dogs.

[mita]

The UK Daily Mail online has a fuller account.

Seems there's been a lot of criticism since the story first broke on a local TV station. A large proportion is in civil language.

But there's also been the usual nutters with death threats & wishes to 'burn in hell' (interesting that the funeral home involved described the lady as liking to read her Bible).

Says that one poor vet assistant brought some of those extremists down on his head when it was thought he was the one who did the PTS. He didn't. He said it was legal, but he thinks it was morbid, in that the dog's body was in the open coffin with the owner. His own ethic would be to rehome.

Which is what an expert on Guide Dogs is quoted as saying:

Guide Dogs UK also made it clear that this case was unacceptable.

Oliver Barton, regional director, said: 'We would never condone this. Whatever happens, we would make sure that the dog was happy and cared for'

The son was in a hard position. Seems he carried out his mother's wishes to the letter.

Another hypothetical son might have compromised by putting a photo of Toffee in the coffin. Our little dog was a pet therapy dog for a boy with a long drawn out terminal illness. He got so close to her. So his mother put a photo of the dog in his coffin with him, when he died.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2303841/Blind-woman-s-HEALTHY-guide-dog-killed-buried-alongside-fulfilment-dying-wish.html

Edited April 5, 2013 by mita

[Rosetta]

I blame the family more than the poor woman - faced with death and perhaps not thinking rationally at all. The think the cruelty comment was more related to the fact that the dog was healthy and would have had many good years left. I don't believe that because it was a guide dog that it was only capable of bonding to one person. If dogs are old or infirm I can understand an owners wish to PTS on their death but a dog in this situation - no. The threats to the family are just typical of society's vigilante mindset these days.

[Loving my Oldies]

I can understand and sympathise to why she did it.

so can I

I can't understand why anyone would want their healthy and relatively young dog to be put down, because they were dying themselves. It seems a very callous and selfish act.

I agree.

Sorry to hear such a wonderful animal got such a poor return for its investment. Guide dogs are just gold. Personally I think that such a final wish was selfish, filled with ego ( or poor judgement) and was poor justice for such a valuable animal.

The irony that this dog enabled her to have a life and in reward she took its life from it.

Well said, red angel.

Even if the dog wasn't a Guide Dog, I find the act despicable.

I'm sorry, Persephone, but I find your suggestion unacceptable too. I know if I was nearing death and had a young faithful and healthy dog, the last thing I would be asking is for that dog to die with me.

The dog didn't necessarily have to be rehomed or adopted as an assistance dog, so the argument that it might not have been able to be retrained for another "job" doesn't cut it with me either.

The whole thing is abhorrent in my book.

[pebbles]

I have two dogs, one 7.5years the other 5.5years and it's in my will that when I pop off they are both to be PTS. The older one is a little shite and I wouldn't expect anyone, even family, to take him. The younger one is different but still not really suitable for rehoming. Anyway I don't expect (hope) to go until they are much older, hopefully gone before me, so this may not happen. I've seen too many dogs taken by family or well meaning friends and then the novelty wear off and the poor dogs suffer.

[persephone]

Pebbles ..I have something similar for my animals ...

[mita]

I have two dogs, one 7.5years the other 5.5years and it's in my will that when I pop off they are both to be PTS. The older one is a little shite and I wouldn't expect anyone, even family, to take him. The younger one is different but still not really suitable for rehoming.

You've made an assessment of your dogs' behaviour over time & based your decision on that. Not on the sole reason that you don't want to be separated from them on your death. Seems a fair position, to me. After all, any question of rehoming would have to be based on assessment.

Toffee didn't get the benefit of that. It's telling that the person in charge of Guide Dogs UK disagrees strongly with what was done with Toffee. I'd imagine a guide dog being left because of its owner's death wouldn't be all that unusual & they'd know from experience that rehoming can likely be done.

Edited April 5, 2013 by mita

[Loving my Oldies]

I have two dogs, one 7.5years the other 5.5years and it's in my will that when I pop off they are both to be PTS. The older one is a little shite and I wouldn't expect anyone, even family, to take him. The younger one is different but still not really suitable for rehoming. Anyway I don't expect (hope) to go until they are much older, hopefully gone before me, so this may not happen. I've seen too many dogs taken by family or well meaning friends and then the novelty wear off and the poor dogs suffer.

Tell us how many and their stories so we can better understand how you feel. Edited April 5, 2013 by Danny's Darling

[persephone]

It's telling that the person in charge of Guide Dogs UK disagrees strongly with what was done with Toffee. I

Oh, yes - their donations would dry right up if there was a hint of them condoning the death of Toffee

I

'd imagine a guide dog being left because of its owner's death wouldn't be all that unusual & they'd know from experience that rehoming can likely be done.

*nods* ...I don't envy the management /P R people.

[mita]

yes - their donations would dry right up if there was a hint of them condoning the death of Toffee

:..I don't envy the management /P R people. [/font][/color]

You're saying that the UK Guide Dog's director is basing her assessment solely on money making.

I've said that it wouldn't be all that unusual for a guide dog's owner to die & for the source organisation to have experience with rehoming. More a matter of being part of the usual process of dealing with guide dogs.

I know a family who applied to Guide Dogs (Australia) for a dog that was not being used in that capacity for some reason. They got one.

Edited April 5, 2013 by mita

[persephone]

Y

ou're saying that the UK Guide Dog's director is basing her assessment solely on money making.

No :) Just that if they were too be sympathetic or seen as condoning the idea ..public would not be impressed .

I

've said that it wouldn't be all that unusual for a guide dog's owner to die & for the source organisation to have experience with rehoming. More a matter of being part of the usual process of dealing with guide dogs.

and I agreed :) I've done it myself, many times.

[mita]

Thanks, Pers, I get what you meant now.

BTW, the family that got the dog from Guide Dogs found he's brilliant with their elderly father (who's not blind!). Many of the guide dog trained behaviours made him a good & easy companion.

[persephone]

any of the guide dog trained behaviours made him a good & easy companion.

yes...it all helps :) many years ago I got a lab like that for Mum ... and she was terrific :)

[korbin13]

I have two dogs, one 7.5years the other 5.5years and it's in my will that when I pop off they are both to be PTS. The older one is a little shite and I wouldn't expect anyone, even family, to take him. The younger one is different but still not really suitable for rehoming. Anyway I don't expect (hope) to go until they are much older, hopefully gone before me, so this may not happen. I've seen too many dogs taken by family or well meaning friends and then the novelty wear off and the poor dogs suffer.

Our family has had to deal with two deaths recently, both family members had dogs/cats. Unfortunately most people don't want other peoples dogs/cats and with council regulations, pack dynamics etc it is a hard ask for relatives to look after them. Once they are surrendered, the relatives no longer have any say in what happens to them.

After these experiences I also have requested that my animals be pts if I (and my husband) die before them. And if I knew I was going to die, I would be taking them to the vet myself.

Obviously this situation is a lot different to my situation as I don't have a trained guide dog but I can relate to the fear of worrying about what was going to happen to them after I die. I would prefer to know that my dogs were at peace than sitting in a concrete cell, scared silly or stuck with someone that doesn't treat them correctly.

BTW, not all guide dog owners are particularly nice to their dogs.

[raz]

Having said all this, I really have to take issue with the would be vigilantes of Terre Haute who would like to hunt Sheila Stadler's son Andrew down for doing what he thought his mother wanted. Andrew did what he thought he was obliged to do at the time

Yes i couldnt agree more, Ricey! Death threats against him and the vet assistant? Totally ludicrous. Pitchfork carrying imbeciles.

[tdierikx]

My brother has a self trained assistance dog. They have a completely symbiotic relationship.

If anything were to happen to my brother, it would probably be extremely damaging for his dog... and it may just be that he would need to go with my brother...

T.

[Red Fox]

Maybe Cruel because it potentially took away an assistance dog from someone who otherwise may not have gotten one?

The dog was owner trained. It couldn't have been re-allocated to another blind person.

I didn't see that in the article. Where is it?

I also wonder whether a 5 year old guide dog would be safe with a new owner, and the previous owner may have known - from experience with the dog - that it would not settle elsewhere. A guide dog would have more connection with its owner than most ordinary dogs.

It was in one of the US news reports I saw linked to a facebook page. I can't find the link now but if I do I will post here.