Therefore, we cannot judge Courtney’s decision because, no matter whether we’ve been faced with something similar, we do not live in her shoes and see life through her unique glasses. I like to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, that at that particular moment in time they were doing their best given all they know and feel. It may be different than our best, but it is THEIR best. Thank heaven we don’t have to judge them, and in fact, have been COMMANDED not to! We’re off the hook. We can hear of another’s experience and have no obligation whatsoever to make a judgment about them. We can, of course, think through what WE might do in a similar set of circumstances, but even then, sometimes we’re wrong about ourselves. We surprise ourselves at many turns, feeling and behaving differently than we actually thought we would.

Even though I am an animal ADORER, particularly of dogs, and happen to be an empath (I can physically feel their pain), I understand that each person is doing their best at that moment, and in the end, God makes it all okay because the Atonement covers animals as well as it covers us. And that, my friends, is how we all survive in this world!

God wants us to take responsibilities for our decisions, be they right or wrong. When we sin, we can only move past it, and not repeat it, by recognizing it and facing the consequences.

I was taught, through the church, about the sanctity of life. I remember asking about animals, and if they have souls. While the answer I received did not leave me completely satisfied, I left with the overwhelming feeling that they do have a presence that we, as their guardians, are requested to protect.

If I were in the same position, while I can completely understand your need to remove this dog from your life, I can imagine that my approach would be quite different. Knowing that death by gas chamber is considered an awful way to die by human right advocates and animal rights advocates, I would probably have taken the dog to the vet for humane euthanization if a proper home could not be found. Prior to that, I would attempt to find the dog a home by contacting local animal adoption agencies, preferably no-kill, attending adoption days, and advertising in local media (craigslist, pennysaver, newspaper).
While some might argue that it seems like a lot of a trouble for a dog, it was a responsibility undertaken from the moment the person chose the dog/puppy as their own. As the only person looking out for the interest of an innocent/ward, it is our responsibility, as owners, to take charge of the animals fate and to, within the best of our ability, guide it to a right and proper path/end.

Your nice social pet may not be so nice when they are at the shelter, being deemed not social is a death sentence.

Shelters are there for the animals who truly need them, not as an easy out for people who cant deal with it any more. (I am sure some will disagree about the decision to surrender you pet as easy. It is much easier than what your trusting pet is going through.)

-Christine, owner of 2 very difficult dogs, and many fury inducing cats.

I guess my whole thing is, IF I ever get a dog, I will be fully ready, willing, and prepared to hire trainers and devote as much time and effort as necessary to properly training/exercising it, so such a situation as this doesn’t arise. It seems that maybe that was not how your family approached it, and ended up getting burned from that decision.

I just think that if you get the dog, the dog is then your responsibility until either it dies, or if you don’t think you can keep it because of your sanity, then find it a home with a family who is willing to devote the time to re-train it appropriately. But I subscribe to Cesar’s philosophy that there’s no bad dog, just owners who don’t know how to train them…

But I understand that was a very tough decision. I think if it had been me, and I’d gone through that much for that long, I’d have taken the dog to a no-kill shelter.