Goodbye to a little friend

The word "euthanasia" comes from the Greek term eu (good) thanatos (death).  The literal translation means to give a good death.  In modern terms, it is used (or is supposed to be used) to describe the act of euthanizing an animal for humane reasons, especially one who is suffering greatly or experiencing a poor quality of life. 

This is the problem I have with the term being used so loosely to describe what happens at animal control facilities across the country. Lack of space at an animal control facility with severely limited adoption hours, or one that refuses to work with legitimate, licensed rescues is NOT a humane reason to "euthanize".  The animal in this case would not be suffering, nor would it be experiencing a poor quality of life due to a medically untreatable or manageable condition.  The animal in this case would be experiencing a reality caused by humans, and only a truly short sighted individual could rationalize that ending a life due to lack of space is humane.

Why can't animal control facilities apply for animal welfare grants to improve the conditions?  Why can't they offer extended adoption hours one or two nights a week to allow working individuals to actually get there and adopt?  Why can't they employ someone, even on a volunteer basis, to act as a rescue/adoption coordinator to increase public adoptions? 

I want to give a shout out to the Rockdale Animal Control right now.  I don't know much about them, don't know about their euthanasia rates, but we were at an animal adoption fair in Alpharetta a few weeks ago and Rockdale Animal Control showed up with all of the animals who had been there too long and were coming up on time to be euthanized.  They adopted out 18 dogs that day.  AND they micro chipped them as they were being adopted!  This is the same animal control staff that actually attended a Creating No Kill Communities seminar in Douglasville a couple months back.  This is a facility that is really trying to go against the way it has always been done and is trying to save some lives.  Sure is harder to do this, than make up a "list", but it has to feel a lot better to save lives than to end them.  Of course....I've always said, the speed of the leader determines the speed of the pack.  Maybe it's time to shake up some leadership.

Critics of the No-Kill Movement ridicule those of us who embrace it.  They say, and I quote "How can you criticize us when you put down animals too?"  Well, it's easy.  I and my colleagues do not euthanize animals for convenience, or "lack of room".  I and my colleagues do not arbitrarily wake up on Wednesday and Friday and put down animals who have been around too long, or euthanize cats because they are black and it is October, or euthanize cats who are freaked out and stressed in a tiny cage when they have never been in a cage in their lives.  We do not label animals "wild",or  "aggressive" without having them evaluated by a trained animal behaviorist to ensure that they aren't perhaps just scared, or injured,  or poorly socialized.

So, you may wonder why I titled this post "Goodbye to a little friend".  Well, it's because yesterday I met a little guy at Coweta Animal Control who touched my heart.  I named him "Peanut" because he was so little.  Peanut had been at that facility for his mandatory 7 day hold period.  There was a flurry of activity, and postings to save him and offers came flooding in, but no one showed up to get him.  I was at the shelter to pick up two puppies - two little misidentified pitbull mixes - who were on the "list" for this morning.  As I was signing out the puppies, the clerk asked me if I was getting the dog I've named Peanut.  I said I had no plans to, but believed he was getting out the next day.  They told me he was on the "list" for this morning, so having no idea what I was going to do with him, I signed him out. 

They told me that Peanut "wasn't much on walking" and asked if I had a towel to wrap him in.  They carried Peanut out wrapped in a towel and he didn't so much as lift his head.  I placed Peanut on the front seat beside me and tried to prop him up in an upright manner, but he just fell over.  He laid like that the whole way to the vet's office.  I prayed the whole way he wouldn't die before I could get there.  I parked the car, left it running with AC full blast and went and checked in.  I went back out to get him and he had not moved an inch...still laying on his side with his head hanging off the seat.  I bundled him up and walked in with him.  The people in the waiting room were aghast at his condition.  First of all, this dog smelled worse than words can possibly describe.  His eyes were completely matted shut with gooey discharge because he suffered from a horrible condition referred to as "dry eye".  He was blind.  He had no teeth.  He had growths all over his little body.  He had a horrible honking cough and his heart murmur was so significant, you could feel it vibrating by placing your hand on his breastbone.  Needless to say, people moved out of my way when I walked in with him.  A short time later, after consulting with the veterinarian, we euthanized Peanut.  He was given something he may never have known in his life - compassion and people who put his needs ahead of their  own feelings and needs.  Did I enjoy it?  Absolutely not.  Did the vet?  Of course not.  So why would we have chosen this option for him?  It's really quite simple.  We were advocates for Peanut.  We gave Peanut a "good death" and ended his horrible suffering.  This, gentle reader, is euthanasia.

Goodbye my little friend.