Calls For Animals To Be Euthanized Are Premature

By Joey Jones July 13 2011
beastienews.blogspot.com

Calls for the seven dogs, five Shelties and two mixed breeds, to be euthanized because they appear to have survived their owners dying by eating their remains for about a week, are premature say officials.

Right now the dogs are in the custody of the Saskatoon Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), who are looking into adopting out the animals, not euthanizing them.

SPCA officials are assessing the dogs for medical and behavioural problems.

Police have not yet identified the dead couple, their ages or any details on how they died, but they do not suspect foul play or the dogs in the death of the couple.

Tiffiny Koback, shelter director of the Saskatoon SPCA, said that any calls for euthanization are "fear-based" and are not being considered at this time.

A neighbour was quoted as saying that the dogs should be put down.

"The dogs will naturally, instinctually resort to whatever resources are available in order to survive and that's all it really is," Koback said.

"We do have to evaluate them as dogs, not as people," said Sandra Stephens, registrar of the Saskatchewan Veterinary Medical Association.

"Certainly, the individuals that came out and did the grooming for us had no problems with the dogs," said Koback. "They were very co-operative, very easy to go through the process."

It is very possible some, if not all, of the dogs could be available for adoption.

"For now we feel that there is a lot of potential in these dogs, as does the group that's involved in the rehabilitation. Depending on how each individual dog responds to the rehabilitation, we'll determine at what point each dog will become available," Koback said.

Koback also said that she could remember three similar situations involving dogs over the past 20 years, including one situation where the dog brought into the shelter was later adopted.

"She actually lived out her life and was a wonderful dog," Koback said.

The dogs' history will be made available to the public, if the dogs go up for adoption.

"It's up to the adopter if this is an animal that they would like to take into their home, given its past," Koback said. "Some people aren't comfortable with that notion and some people see it for what it is: That these dogs simply did what was necessary to survive given the circumstances."