"Connie Ley made an unusual request in her will before she died last month in Aurora, Indiana: She asked that her German shepherd, Bela, be euthanized and buried with her.

Three weeks later, however, Bela, who is 9 years old and male, is healthy and very much alive. And there's a growing movement on social media to defy his late owner's wishes and spare the animal."

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/12/18/li...est-bela-feat/

What do you think of this? Would any of you do it? I think it will be incredibly cruel to euthanize a dog that isn't ill. I hope no vet agrees to do it. When the dog is ill and has to be put to sleep then the ashes can be buried with the owner not right now.

What a selfish bitch!

Depends very much on the dog, TBH we had two terriers over the years who would not have been able to be rehomed (we were their last chance when they came to us) they wold have been dangerous dogs in anyone else's hands so we had a plan in place to euthanize should anything happen to us. But all our others could fairly easily have been rehomed so no such plan in place for them.

Well now its in the media I am sure said dog will get a home, however had it not ended up in the media a 9 year old large dog, whose life expectancy is normally around 10 if you're lucky would more than likely be killed before adopted so not much difference. Sounds callous but America is worse than the UK but it would be no different here, thousands of dogs need homes.

really she sounds quite caring to me, her first wish was there be enough money to send the dog to the closest non kill shelter, there was not enough money for this so instead of her dog being killed and dumped with all the other strays and poundies she wanted the dog killed and to go with her and stay her companion.

If all the people up in arms and causing a media sensation dip their hands in their pockets the dead lady could have her first wish for the dog instead of calling her names and not thinking the matter through

Battersea dogs home alone put down approximately 2,000 healthy dogs every year and a 1,000 more on top of that, that is just one dogs home in this country.

America put to sleep approximately 4 - 5 million dogs per year, I think ours is over 100,000 last time I looked at the stats

No way. That is one death wish I would never observe.

The dog has a right to llive.

But maybe, paradoxically, that was her intention all along. Perhaps she knew the furore such a pronouncement would create, and that out of it, the dog would get a new home.

I imagine the media furore will guarantee her dog gets a new home and so problem will be resolved.

She can wait. Dogs don't live that long.

I'd say leave it up to the dog. Leave him alone in a room with a gun and if he shoots himself then he's up for the idea - otherwise he can go into the grave at the end of his natural life.



I like this solution. It's from the same book as "if she's a witch she'll fly when we push her off this cliff" except that's lose/lose and this is win/win, so maybe the opposite......it's a rigged test is what I'm trying to say.

Top post, TWS.

There are too many pet animals and too few new homes - or excellent, no kill refuges. Emphasis on the excellent. I see nothing wrong with a much-loved animal not being consigned to the lottery of rescues, refuges and the like. A cage for the remainder of its life with no loving owner to replace me? Or euthanasia after a good life? These absurd declarations about rights to live and not putting a healthy animal down... sadly, it happens daily, and frequently it comes after very stressful weeks or months for the animal.

I see a lot of pets being re-homed in this area by people who're moving on and can't take their menagerie with them. I know that some of those re-homed animals haven't lasted for more than a few weeks before they've disappeared. I was in a total quandary about what I should do when one couple re-homed their much loved cats to a family who had previously lost around a dozen cats to hunters around their land - shooting and snares. The departing owners had no idea of this family's unfortunate history. Sure enough, these cats were only around for a month or so before they vanished. A snare won't have been a good death.

I always think PTS lovingly is not the worst end an animal can have, and clearly this lady put thought into what was best for her dog. We need to grow up a bit about pet ownership and not judge people for doing their best in bad situations. Plenty of real cruelty cases out there to get outraged about if that is what makes people feel better.

I agree, being PTS is not the worst thing that can happen to a dog, or other animal. I'm sure the owner just wanted to ensure the dog was not subjected to any cruelty or stuck in a shelter, which at 9 years old, after being a loved house pet, would be distressing and bewildering.

God it sounds awful - don't now what to think really..

Well done Molliepops for re homing those dogs.

I would make sure her wishes are carried out and that the dog is euthanized and buried with her, when the dog is on deaths door.

There's no timescales, so that could be a month, six months, a year. Win-Win!

Is euthanasing a dog that you've looked after for most of its natural life really worse than breeding animals specifically to eat, raising them in crowded conditions and then slaughtering them at a young age?

I assume that you're a vegan as otherwise you'd be a hypocrite?

the issue there being she didn't have anyone to take the dog and do that otherwise I am sure she would have, if it wasn't for the media in this case with people saying they will have the dog, it would undoubtedly have ended up in a kill shelter and at 9 years for a large breed dog with very little life expectancy would not have lasted long anyhow as adoption would be extremely rare.

I bet 90% of the people saying they will rehome it wouldn't when it came down to it, because if they could they would be out there at a shelter now doing it for another dog

I agree and who knows some dogs are one person dogs, I have known a few GSDs in my time none would be able to transfer to another owner they were very much one man one dog dogs.

do the euthanisa or ask for my dogs to be euthanised on my death?

Yes I'd do the euthanaisa (or attend it, I'm not a vet), and have done so for far to many animals and will do for many more.

No i'd not ask for my dogs to be euthanised but then again they are young and rehomable, if they were old I'd rather they went to sleep peacefully than died in a kennel, or spent months and months in one.

as mentioned above about 100,000 dogs are put down each year in the uk for non medical reasons, and it will continue to rise as long as irresponsible owners are about. I have watched many good, happy, rehomable dogs be put to sleep because they can't cope in kennels and noone wants them, that to me is worse than asking for a family pet to be saved that trauma.

I always remember reading this back when I was more heavily involved in rescue work, it was obviously written by an American some time ago.

It always seems to me people who rant about the above lady actually have no idea what goes on in rescue and how bad the situation is in this country of animal lovers let alone the rest of the world. They know about the dogs trust maybe, Battersea but have no idea how many independent rescues, breed rescues and pounds are out there doing there best daily with virtually no funds just trying to save even one healthy dog a day from being killed.

So read the below as its American and the woman and her dog are in America, not that there would be much difference here and wonder how much better off her dog would be being PTS and buried with her over what could await it

http://www.reachoutrescue.org/info/display?PageID=11681

That's heart breaking but I wonder how many who have condemned this woman will bother to actually read it ?

Probably none but you have to think even if it gives one person pause and highlights the issues we actually face the world may get better. It sounds horrible but I wish they would announce figures on destructions of animals over and over again so people could be less in denial of the horrors of irresponsible breeding and pet ownership

The dog shouldn't be euthanized and should be left to live out the rest of his natural life, and found a new loving home.

Have you read the rest of the thread ?

I have read the thread yes.

Hopefully a loving home can be found for the dog.

But not believed or digested the fact an old dog would likely only live days/weeks in rescue before being killed ?