The Decision

The Decision

Since I was a little girl all I wanted to do was help animals. When I was twenty two I got a job at a local animal hospital. It wasn’t until a routine sort of day that I realized this might not be a field I should pursue.

I went into work and started with my daily tasks of giving out the medications to the animals, prepping animals for surgery, and setting up the office for the day. We opened at 9AM and as soon as I unlocked the door a couple brought in their family dog. The dog was about 11 months old and a Husky / Labrador mix who was happily bouncing all over the office.

I knelt down by the dog and ran my hand over her head while listening to the problem the owners had. The owners reported that the dog bit their two year old daughter in the face the night before and they decided to bring the dog in to be euthanized. My heart sank as I realized this healthy dog was about to be killed. I asked them if they had thought about looking for a new home for the dog or possibly putting it into some training classes. They explained that they had not trained the dog because they wanted her to have her natural protective instincts so she would be able to always guard the family.

I listened in disbelief while they described how shocked they were that the dog had actually bitten their child because the little girl had tried to take the dog’s food away. They told the story without emotion. I wanted to scream at them that this all could have been avoided had they taught the dog simple skills when it was a puppy. They were adamant that the dog should be euthanized, so they paid the fee and left without as much as a backwards glance.

I took the dog back into the holding area and went to get everything ready. I set up the shot, the clippers, and the bag to put her in after we were done. I remember how sad I was to see a healthy dog put to sleep because of her owner’s irresponsibility. As I walked back to get her, I started to cry and wondered if I’d be able to do what was required of me. I ended up sitting with her for about an hour, just petting and talking to her to try and calm her down. Even the best of dogs will get nervous and upset being left alone in a strange place.

Finally the Veterinarian, who was going to do the actual euthanasia, came in the room and we started to prep the dog. I shaved her leg, tied on the tourniquet, and took her head into my lap to keep her from reacting or biting out of fear. The Vet took the shot