Farewell my friend...

One of my Dogs of the Week was put down yesterday.  I am heartbroken. 

This information does not get widely shared because some people have wildly negative reactions due to conflicting beliefs about euthanasia or the attachment they have formed with the animal. These people don't always see how much the HSHV staff tries to fix the problem, and the shelter has to keep a positive image. So please, if you have any issues with this situation, please contact me directly, and I will put you in touch with shelter staff.  

HSHV helps thousands of animals each year.  If an animal comes in with an illness or behavior problem, it is not automatically put down as they often are at other shelters.  Instead, HSHV does everything they can to rehabilitate and heal these animals.  A small percentage are terminally ill or have behavior problems that cannot be fixed.  This is fewer than 20% of the animals they take in.  Compare this to other shelters such as the Michigan Humane Society which only saves 20% of the animals they take in.  It is truly an amazing thing.

Occasionaly during the rehabilitation process, the shelter staff determines that the animal is not treatable and will never get better - physically or behaviorally.  This is when they have to make the hard decision to put the animal down.  It has only happened a handful of times in the 2 years I have been volunteering with HSHV, and it never gets any easier.

This particular dog came in to the shelter with a rocky past and minor aggression issues that became more and more serious as time went on.  He was reactive to other dogs, and eventually he turned his aggression onto a staff member.  The staff tried everything.  They tried extra exercise and enrichment.  They tried training.  They contacted dozens of rescue sites asking for help.  Nothing could make this dog better.  It is not in the best interest of the public or the breed of the dog (yes, he was a pit) for the shelter to adopt out an unsafe dog.  It is so very sad, but it is necessary.  I responded to the news with great grief and understanding.  Apparently, many volunteers did the same.  Our volunteer coordinator stated in a response, "...it is overwhelming how much people respect HSHV and the tough decisions that have to be made.  We do all we can."

This was a wonderful dog who had a rough start in life.  It is so sad that he was unable to overcome these difficulties.  I wish I had known this was happening sooner so I could have taking him on one last walk and given him one last hug.  I will light a candle in his honor and never forget this special dog who gave me so much joy during the time I was able to spend with him.  <3

Remember King.