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The truth about euthanasia
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Photo of euthanized dog corpse
Euthanasia is a fact of life for many animals living in shelters. No one likes to talk about it let alone have to be the one to perform it on shelter animals. The following is written, verbatim from the video below. It is powerful. It is first hand testimony. And, it needs to be read…
"Recently it has come to my attention that there is a misconception about euthanasia in animal shelters. More than once people have told me that they feel those who euthanize animals are heartless. Nothing can be further from the truth. Four months I worked at a humane society. I worked in the dog kennels caring for around 100 dogs at any one time. The first day I walked in the euthanasia room the sense of sadness and desperation came over me. The room was lovely, painted with rainbows and soft pastel colors but nothing could hide knowing what goes on there. Eventually they started having me go in the rooms to assist with euthanasia. Whether it was the first dog or the hundredth - nothing changed.
Before we euthanized them myself and several other workers would often give the dogs more time to play, eat junk food and simply knowing their last memories would be good ones. We made them a lunch of dog or cat canned food mixed in our own lunches for the day, even sometimes candy and other food that is forbidden for dogs but they love them. We'd play fetch and let them have the run of the entire back yard.
When the time came we would leash them up and walk them into the room. It never got any easier. Two types of dogs would go into that room - the ones who knew and the ones who didn't. I don't know which was worse; the ones who knew would often fight and push, they'd pull, drag themselves, cry, bark, run, anything they could do to get away. Sometimes we'd have to carry them in and sometimes it was too hard for us and they would have another day.
The dogs that didn't know were equally hard. They would jog along, tail wagging into the room. They would watch us curiously as we got everything ready. We had a big bucket of treats in the room and would feed them the treats, their tails still wagging until their dying breath.
Beauty was a dog I will never forget. She was a pit bull, scarred and beaten but wanting nothing but love. She had a litter of puppies; everyone wanted them but no one wanted a pit bull covered in scars. The day she was on the list we walked her over to her puppies where she kissed them through the bars and they kissed back. Beauty was led away from her puppies, she as she always did walked gracefully to that door. She looked back one more time at her puppies and entered the doorway. I remember another dog who did nothing but stare at the person injecting her with the drugs. She was named Phoenix but she never rose again.
So when I hear those who euthanize shelter animals have no heart, listen to my words carefully. Anyone who can hold a dog to its dying breath, knowing that dog is young, healthy and unwanted has the biggest heart that can be. It's not easy, it's not fun. It was one of the hardest times in my life. Nothing can prepare you for it. The shelters are not to blame for this. There wouldn't be a need for animal shelters if people would stop buying dogs and cats from flea markets and pet stores were they get them from puppy mills. We wouldn't need animal shelters if people would spay and neuter their pets more. We wouldn't need animal shelters if people would care for their pets for their entire life expectancy and not dump them when they grow too big or old or boring.
Dogs and cats aren't babies forever. They aren't toys or fashion accessories, either. I have adopted three dogs from the shelter and two cats. One of those cats is a Sphynx, a rare breed costing $1,500 to $2,500 each. She was only six months old when I adopted her. Yes, you can find purebred animals at any age at the shelter or breed rescues. You never need to go to a breeder to find your favorite breed. Over a third of all animals in shelters are purebred. The rest are designer mutts.
You can find your dream pet at the shelter and also save a life. The Humane Society of the United States estimates that animal shelters care for between 6 to 8 million dogs and cats every year in the United States of whom approximately 3 to 4 million are euthanized.
Make a difference in an animal's life and adopt one today."
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