Woman dead after being attacked by her two pit bulls in animal hospital

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

147. So if the pointer was

"ready to friggin kill any other dog he saw out walking if they so much as looked at him sideways let alone bark at him." why would you keep a dog like that?

I think what bothers me the most is that I know how many dogs (and cats, but we're talking about dogs here) are euthanized every year, every day. Many of them are gentle, wonderful animals, who would NEVER attack a human or another dog. And yet, people, some of whom post here on DU keep dangerous animals, who have already attacked humans or dogs. Why not say, "I'm sad, I'm sorry, but it's time to move on" and euthanize the dangerous dog and adopt one who needs a home.

About twenty years ago (hard to believe it was that long ago, but it really was) I did volunteer work for a local animal shelter. At the time it was located in an old home, built in the 1940s, that had been donated to the shelter. While I was there they built a new, wonderful, dedicated animal shelter. But in the beginning, I worked at the reception desk, greeting potential adopters as they came in and directed them to the appropriate place. The dog walkers, a truly wonderful and dedicated group of volunteers, had to bring the dogs by where I was. I was struck by how every single dog wanted to greet every single human they came across. It was a wonderful lesson in dogginess. I learned to appreciate dogs as dogs.

Dogs have been with us humans for a very long time. They (with genuinely rare exceptions of those who turn on humans) are dedicated to us. They want to be with us. For the most part we do very well with them. I'm not a dog person myself, but that time at the shelter made me genuinely appreciated the human dog connection. Which is truly incredible.

I wish I could recall the specifics, but at the time the shelter had a flyer that pointed out that for every single cat and dog to be adopted from shelters, each and every family would need to house something like seven dogs and eight cats. Maybe it was three cats and five dogs, but you get the point. There is simply no way all of the cats and dogs in shelters could possibly be housed.

And so, I put it to you. Why keep a dangerous dog? Why not do the merciful thing, have him euthanized, and adopt a dog that would otherwise lose his life, and give him a good life? You have done your genuine best with this dog. Maybe it's time to say good bye.

I realize that you may have a very different answer from me. And that's okay. There really is no one correct answer. And no matter what, we are back to the issue I mentioned above: there is simply no way that all of the cats and dogs in shelters can possibly be housed.

A personal note. I'm a cat person. About a decade ago I had three cats. They have since moved on to, as I like to say, that great litter box in the sky. Right now my life is such that I can't even keep an indoor plant alive. Someday, when my life is less peripatetic, I will have more cats. I will go to the nearest shelter and adopt the oldest cat they have, or (better yet in my opinion) two or three cats who've been together for years. whose owner has died or gone into assisted living where the cats can't go, but need to be together. I will be so very happy to take in those cats.

Oh, and I've told my son that if I ever need to go into assisted living or a nursing home, he needs to make sure I'm in a place with resident cats. I'm sure there are similar facilities with resident dogs. Actually, both would be nice. Plus parakeets and fish. Honestly, we all need non human companions.