Not sure if I should be putting this, but.....

[Gwenoakes]

Is it better to end an animals life if it is so badly injured that a journey to the vet would cause more suffering, both emotionally and physically?

[Totally Scrambled]

My answer is Yes, providing you know how to do it, so that you don't increase or add to it's suffering except in the very very short term.
At work I used to get called by my collegues to deal with animals that they had come across injured. If it was blindingly obvious that they would not survive I would end it.
I've done it for a variety of birds including a Rhea, rabbits, foxes, cats, dogs, a deer and I was just about to finish of a very badly injured horse when it died.
It's not a pleasant experience but is something I'm prepared to do if the situation warrants it

[mrs boodles]

At the riding school where I used to work we had a ride coming back and one of the horses went down and bust its leg badly, was distressed. Would have taken while for vet to get out to the horse . Near enough the stables so my boss made the decision to shoot the horse to stop its suffering and distress. Clean shot and think he did the right thing but think you have to be able to kill cleanly so as not inflict more suffering. Quite a difficult decision to have to make

[manda]

Oh that's a big one....there are so many variables there....if the journey was made is there a possibility it would survive? If not would it be possible to do the deed quickly and efficiently....I think the decision would have to be made based on each case because of the fact there are so many variables.

Whilst I was writing this Dom andMrs Boo wrote their replies ...I suppose that's what I'm saying too.

[wendy]

I agree. If it can be done without further suffering and no chance of survival.
Yes.

[Gwenoakes]

Thanks for your replies, guys.

A situation arose where Clare and Terry were working this morning and was the reason I asked this question.

A cat which was obviously very badly injured, although no physical signs, i.e. blood etc was found by Clare under a 4 x 4 when she arrived at work. It was barely alive and she had no idea of how long it had been there. The only sign of life was a tiny twitch of the front paw and very, very shallow breathing.

She got the owner of the animal and after looking at it he decided to do the deed there and then. Now after mine and her initial outcry of 'No', I thought about it and decided it wasnt such a bad thing. That thought in itself actually surprised me tbh, so just wondered what other people thought/felt.

[Grannyof4]

OMG....I find this post quite horrifying and scary, that unqualified people are ending the life of an animal. I have never had an animal's life ended by anyone not experienced, ie a Vet or knackerman or from the local hunt.
I feel a warning should be put against it.

[barboo]

OMG....I find this post quite horrifying and scary, that unqualified people are ending the life of an animal. I have never had an animal's life ended by anyone not experienced, ie a Vet or knackerman or from the local hunt.
I feel a warning should be put against it.

I agree with Grannyof4,
Ive seen and still see far to offten dogs being brought into the centre that really do look as if it's their last day on earth, "All thanks to cruel humans"
And a few days later you see what a trained vet can do and that same animal alive and on the road to recovery,
My very own thought on this subject is Im not trained to take life and the amount of dr-ugs on the market today to ease pain has to be seen to be believed and how quick they work.
I feel the answer to this question is Whats the difference between human life and animal life?
Would you kill a human because as an untrained person you thought that human didn't have a chance???
And if you did take that life because you thought no way that person was going to live or that person was in pain (you'd end up in the courts)
We both had to watch our mother (my mother in law) die,
It was cancer and without saying so we both kept a very close eye on our father inlaw just incase he did something the law wouldn't allow.
Because of the dr-ugs used she did die but without pain.

[Gwenoakes]

Mods if a warning is needed like Granny of 4 and someone else suggests then please do so, or if you want to delete this thread please do that.

Never intended to offend anyone/thing, just that this situation arose and I didnt expect to feel anything by horror..........but I did........much to my suprise.

[manda]

I'm not sure whether there needs to be a warning here....Idon't think anyone has said anything that's that horrifying to be honest....The Lane always says seek the advice of a vet but this is one of those questions where there is no definite answer.

I had a horse broke his leg.. His leg had snapped at the shoulder...but there was noone we were out in the New Forest miles from anyone. My friend had to ride to get help I had to stand with my horse - who had to be in agony - for around 2 hours ...then load him into a horse box and get him to the nearest stables ..where an equine vet met us only to confirm he needed to be shot.......if I had had someone there at the time who could have done the deed I would have let them there and then and I don't think that would have been wrong.

So as I said ...I don't think it's cut and dried and I don't think that what has been said is going to have people running around "offing" any injured animal they come across if they can it help.

[barboo]

I'm not sure whether there needs to be a warning here....Idon't think anyone has said anything that's that horrifying to be honest....The Lane always says seek the advice of a vet but this is one of those questions where there is no definite answer.

I had a horse broke his leg.. His leg had snapped at the shoulder...but there was noone we were out in the New Forest miles from anyone. My friend had to ride to get help I had to stand with my horse - who had to be in agony - for around 2 hours ...then load him into a horse box and get him to the nearest stables ..where an equine vet met us only to confirm he needed to be shot.......if I had had someone there at the time who could have done the deed I would have let them there and then and I don't think that would have been wrong.

So as I said ...I don't think it's cut and dried and I don't think that what has been said is going to have people running around "offing" any injured animal they come across if they can it help.

Can i just come in here again,
I wouldn't normaly say so much but the subject of animals is one very close to my heart so much so i prefer animals to a lot of people ive come across in life,
No i dont think this thread should be removed because it's given the views from all sides and thats a very good thing,
If the BBC pc news hadn't have shown the news last week ref three dogs in seperate area had all been hanged over railings (to death) we wouldnt know that had happend nor would we know or recieve the advice given ref that very brave woman in Liverpool who gave her life trying to save a dog trapped under fencing "she was hit & the dog "by a train and died,
The advice given by the fire service was dont take the risk,
Both of these are horror stories and both results are two sides to animals being killed
One by shear cruelty and one by accident, One performed by a person or persons that need to be named and shamed and delt with via the courts for what they did and the other one for a brave act but an act that cost her her own life.
If we put everything in cotton wool in life we're the loosers and we'd never get to know what goes on,
A lot of behind closed doors has led to some horrific bad things happening in this last 10 years by people we thought of as hero's but when the truth came out not only did we hear abuse of a child in a sexual nature had been reported "Nothing was done"
I wonder if we the gerneral public had known if the results would have not only been quicker to bring to justice but less children would have been saved and a few less medals given out.
Animals can't talk but they do have a lot to say.
Its far to easy to but a dog down, and its far to easy to own one,
It gets hard when you have to put the effort in to look after it "ALL" its life, And learn what not to do ref the animal, why you shouldnt let a new born child and dog be left alone, whats the message the dog getting when a baby cuddles it ??????
Im going for a lay down!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DONT SHOOT THE MESSENGER

[HedgeHugger]

OMG....I find this post quite horrifying and scary, that unqualified people are ending the life of an animal. I have never had an animal's life ended by anyone not experienced, ie a Vet or knackerman or from the local hunt.
I feel a warning should be put against it.

So do you think that a wild rat that was dying in my garden from poison (not my poison I will add) should have been taken to a vet and destroyed, or had the door shut to it and ignored (I've done that before when a cat had a bird and was playing with it, not my best moment!). Or put out of it's misery there and then?

Dispatching chickens seems to be quite common, not everyone takes them to a vet, especially when raising them for the table.
Lots of people hunt. Ferreters dispatch bunnies.
If I had to kill my own food I would be vegetarian!

[albertajune]

I find it incredibly difficult to answer this one Gwen as I think that an individual has to actually be in the position of having to deal with a badly injured animal to be able to know that dispatching it is the only answer.

I hate to see an animal suffer but don't know if I could actually do the deed myself. I won't ask how the owner did it, but I wouldn't have any idea how to do it efficiently and humanely myself. It doesn't bear even thinking about.

[barboo]

OMG....I find this post quite horrifying and scary, that unqualified people are ending the life of an animal. I have never had an animal's life ended by anyone not experienced, ie a Vet or knackerman or from the local hunt.
I feel a warning should be put against it.

So do you think that a wild rat that was dying in my garden from poison (not my poison I will add) should have been taken to a vet and destroyed, or had the door shut to it and ignored (I've done that before when a cat had a bird and was playing with it, not my best moment!). Or put out of it's misery there and then?

Dispatching chickens seems to be quite common, not everyone takes them to a vet, especially when raising them for the table.
Lots of people hunt. Ferreters dispatch bunnies.
If I had to kill my own food I would be vegetarian!

Ref rats and any other vermin that can spread decease your local pest controle dept should be contacted as these type creatures are a health issue,
Your very thread is what im talking about "Knowing how to deal with the situation"
Ive had many a cry when ive been asked to help go and get an animal from an address due to it being ill treated,
Ive looked at the so called owners with real annoyance of how you could do such a thing to any living soul be it animal or human,
That animal thought when it arrived in this hell as a very young creature you would love it "Care for it, be there when it needed to learn what to do without violance being used
without the use of a cigarett burn, or a kicking or as offten seen the broom,
But as an collector of the animal ive to say little but get the animal away from that hell,
Sometimes the centre's vet will decide the animal is to be (put to sleep)
Big boys dont cry "they just get grit in the eye's"
But ive drove home at the end to the day many a time with grit in my eyes as i think how pleased that animal was when i put it into the van not knowing this was its last day.
But on the other hand ive seen many a dog and cat make a full recovery and then find a good home and i hope a happy future.

[Gwenoakes]

I find it incredibly difficult to answer this one Gwen as I think that an individual has to actually be in the position of having to deal with a badly injured animal to be able to know that dispatching it is the only answer.

I hate to see an animal suffer but don't know if I could actually do the deed myself. I won't ask how the owner did it, but I wouldn't have any idea how to do it efficiently and humanely myself. It doesn't bear even thinking about.

I know what you mean June about whether or not you could do the deed and I would have said up until the other day that I would have been totally horrified at what I had heard, but then I thought more and was extremely suprised to be thinking about it differently.

Barboo, I very often prefer the company of animals to humans too.