Killer Dog: To Euthanize or Not to Euthanize?

A few months ago there was a horrific story in our local paper about a newborn baby being killed by the family dog. In addition to the wrenching grief this family must have faced at the loss of their child, they had to endure a public debate about the fate of their dog on the news and on the editorial pages of the newspaper. Local authorities had taken the dog to the town's municipal shelter where he was held in quarantine for a short period and than he was humanely euthanized. The public outcry was astonishing. It ranged from people who felt terrible for the family's ordeal and wanted simply to express their condolences to those who thought the family should take the dog back to those who thought the dog should be placed in a different shelter to find a new, more appropriate, home. What was the right answer?

As a parent, animal lover, and a person who has made my living in the animal welfare field, I was horrified that anyone would suggest that the family should take the dog back into their home. The dog, although a beloved pet up until this point, did in fact cause the death of their child. I don't think the dog was unnaturally aggressive or inherently a bad dog, but I can't imagine having to wake up every morning to face the being responsible for the death of my child. I think the people who suggested the family should do so were being thoughtless and insensitive.

I was equally appalled when people recommended that the dog should be placed up for adoption. My best guess at what happened with this dog is that he had a very high prey drive. He may have never shown any sign of aggression toward a person in his life, but he may have mistaken the high pitched cries of the infant as those of a smaller prey animal. His instincts kicked in, and it resulted in the death of a child. This dog has proven he is a serious danger to small children. I don't think anyone can guarantee with one hundred percent certainty that the dog will never be exposed to a child again in his lifetime. I for one would not be willing to bet my child's life on it.

The other problem I had with the suggestion the dog be re-homed is that it shows a lack of awareness of the animal overpopulation problem in our country. Every day animals are euthanized in our nation's animal shelters. These are not animals that killed a child or ever showed any aggression. Many of them are wonderful animals that would make great companions. Unfortunately, there are more dogs and cats born in this country each year than we could ever find enough homes for. Looking at the overwhelming pet overpopulation statistics, I think it's unreasonable to believe there would be many families willing to step forward and take this dog into their home.

Imagine yourself walking through an animal shelter looking to adopt a dog. Each dog has some information on his cage giving you a little background. Would you pick the dog with the type of history this dog has? I can't imagine anyone would answer yes to this question. I've seen dogs passed over for adoption time and time again for reasons such as jumpiness and house soiling. No, at best placing this dog in a shelter for adoption would simply mean a short stay of execution and at worst, a lifetime of living in a small kennel run going slowly crazy from the excessive noise and constant boredom. In this situation, I would argue for quick, humane euthanasia.