Very few things tug at my heartstrings like walking through a shelter and seeing some old sweetheart standing alone and confused on the concrete. Years have taught them, the the owner will come home, and time now, will show them otherwise. It is something in the way they greet one, a polite hello while peeking around your legs to see who may be approaching to clarify this error.
My mind still tries to come up with some sensible ( to me at least ) reason for this, did the owner pass away ? Perhap s a nursing home, the need to blame can get pretty strong here, if I don't ride herd on my gut. Where are those darn kids, why didn't they take this sad creature into their lives? I have learned for me, when I am judging I am never helping, and these lovely animals need an advocate not someone wasting time muttering.
And now for things we don't want to read........ Should Dad's old dog even go to the shelter ? From my perspective no......Hope that didn't make your doughnut sour, if you are enjoying morning coffee. And here is another sticky wicket, most grown children have pets of their own, and the old dog, set in its ways may not do well living with the kids & critters. That alone should tell you the chances for a permanent adoptive home are slim to nil. ( Please can we never again say " forever home "" ) we do that like tossing that label on some adopter, is going to make the home stick. I would much prefer that my guys get to miss the whole adoption experience if they are geriatric. & disabled in some manner. And, yep that does mean a hard decision toward, and inclusive of Euthanasia, we call it the E word. I am not asking you to substitute my opinion for yours here, I am simply putting mine forward. I will use Oreo since we have referenced her and Honey in the past. If anyone out here is in doubt on this dog please see "Old Dogs New Home"
on this site. We are talking toatal inability fo the owner to EVER take care of the pet again, ok ?
Little adventures where the dog could be boarded or stay with a friend are not even on the table.
Long before we get to this moment in time, the human should have noted that both they and the pet were getting older, and since age doesn't reverse itself, this needs to be dealt with.... Ask your family, point blank ( no cornering please ) do you want this dog / cat ? Leave them time and space for an honest answer. One hesitation should count as a no. Close friends are another option, don't be afraid to ask, but remember you are asking them for what could be a long and ardous commitment. Next your vet, what do they think, remember vets didn't go to school to kill dogs they have a strong tendency to try and save them, which is a good thing. But a saved older dog without a home is not a good thing. So be clear in your wishes and put them in writing. If your vet has treated your pal for years, there is going to be an attachment there and this is hard on them as well. Line these things up while you still think you don't need to.........After the stroke or heart attack is not when one should be planning for the future of a beloved pet. That is how they end up in shelters far to often, plain old lack of planning and denial. Long love requires some hard decisions. I hope you are up to the job. Have a written directive and give it to your vet , family and close friends. Remember even the most loving, caring shelter is very hard on an older pet, and the chances of adoption into a permanent home are pretty slim, so be fair to the creature who trusts you the most. shown above is dear, gentle Dash, Oreo's sister, a very sweet girl who was escorted to the Rainbow Bridge by her loving owner last year. We owe them the dedication they give us, even if it hurts..........
6 comments:
Oh so true. I have selected euthanasia for my dogs in the event I can't take care of them or die. I know that one would not be an appropriate adoption and the other would never go with anyone else. My birds can be adopted out although there is also a pet bird overpopulation and I am willing to give it a go. I've seen so much of the underbelly of pet ownership that I just plain don't want to take the chance of my dogs going to someone else. Take the time to discuss this with your kids, your friends, etc. and if you have a will then include them. Also I advise elderly people to put instructions on the inside of their front door what to do with their pets if there is an emergency so the police or medical people can see it. Rather than the police having to call animal control, they would have a number for a friend or relative to pick up the pet. I also advise that they put something outside their front door advising the police or medical that there is a pet inside so they don't let it out during the process.
The notice on the inside of the door is wonderful, and having a person to take the pet vs protective custody is great. Our AC here is wonderful and the animals they take in during these situations recieve excellent care, but no matter how perfect the staff, it is still a stressful place and someone the pet knows is a kinder choice. What I have done with some of my elderly clients is get a dog dag (10 bucks Petco, for one big enough ) and on it I inscribe "If owner disabled, call 123-4567" That may not work for all lifestyles, but using my cell as the rescue number has been sucessful. Both would almost guarantee a quick pick up.
I have seen several of these dogs, some from breeders and from homes with death or divorce. Your post was hard to read, I think you do that on purpose. It will get forwarded for sure. I will do the right thing, I printed this out and put it on the Fridge.
I found you, great blog, and I also checked out the Seattle one, kcascreatures. While on that site I visited the old haven site, very nice what they are doing, basically allowing the dog to die with dignity, in a couple of those really short stays. Be careful in some states that could come back to bite you, even though you did not take the dog with the intent of euthanizing it, no kill dogs that pass on your watch can get you hauled through the mud. We had a case here where a lady adopted a very unhealthy dog and her decison was to not put it through the rigors of treatment, the spleen was huge. They really went after her. Anything for publicity.
Heavy topic, people who put sick dogs in a shelter usually think it will treat the animal, or if it is no kill the dog will live there forever, happy in its pen with it's 10 minutes out . I volunteered and some of those dogs did not get walked for days. An older dog would get all kinds of problems. Be mature and put the animal witha friend or put it down, don't dump it on a shelter. Old dogs suffer the most.
Still working my way through this blog. Are you a vet or a vet tech? You seem to know what you are talking about. Has anybody thought about filing something with the vet, in the paperwork and prepaying for some medical care while things are processed. Like one poster on this page, I have seen the underbelly and I am not yet decided what to do with my dogs, a friend will take the ferret. Please keep posting on these topics, pet people need to talk.
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