Though I sometimes speak in religious metaphor, I'm not really much of a believer in God. Yet sometimes things have to make me wonder, such as the situation here on the farm this week with our dogs. I wrote recently about being God to our animals, and needing to take the responsibility to kill them sometimes.
I've never in 42 years actually had to make such a decision though, but just a few days after writing about such things I got circumstances handed to me like a test from Yahweh. At the tail end of a lovely weekend with the godson and his mama, I got a call from home explaining that Ramblin' Jack had nearly killed my beloved terrier the Fugitive.
Ramblin' Jack just rambled onto the farm a few months ago. That's how almost all of our dogs ever arrive. The other dogs didn't want him there, but we humans run the place, and we said the poor fellow could stay.
Jack was some kind of bulldog, as we could see from his powerful jaws. You could also tell it by his aggressive behavior in the yard with the other dogs. After the first few days hiding under bushes this spring, he figured on taking over the place, at least as far as dogs were concerned. He was probably 40 pounds and the Fugitive maybe half that.
Now, the dogs will fight over the food bowl, or scraps or general status. A little tussling in the yard is expected. But never have we had a dog ready to absolutely kill the others. Jack about killed the Fugitive but for serious human intervention several times.
A couple of months ago, he went into kill mode on the Fugitive right at my feet as I was going out to take my walk. The 70 pound coon dog Rouser couldn't get him off, nor was poking him with my walking staff making any impression. I absolutely busted my favorite oak walking staff in two across his back- and didn't even get his attention. I busted it in two again, and then kicked him pretty good before he even noticed I was there.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - bhw
Or you could have taken him to the vet and had him "put to sleep" peacefully, like normal people do.
2 - RJ
I'm sure it was tough, but I believe you did the right thing. Quick, painless. Just like how 100% of us wish we'd go, but only 10% of us get to go...
3 - RJ
BHW:
Yeah, most people would have done that. But why involve a third-party, if you don't have to?
4 - Steve S
or you could have taken him to the pound and they could have tried to find someone who specializes in hard to manage dogs.
5 - Al Barger
BHW, I question your definition of "normal people." And if normal people are not willing to take responsibility for doing their own killing, but rather have to get someone to do their dirty work because they're too squeamish, then I'm not particularly interested in being "normal." Out here, taking responsibility for your own animals would be considered normal.
Plus, in what way would it be better to have a vet do it than to do it myself? How long does it take for a vet's shot to work, a minute? That's about 100 times longer than what he got.
Also, it would be a waste of money that I don't have. That's a vet visit that could be used to take care of one of the other animals that we're keeping.
The only point in gettng a vet to do it, or taking him to the pound would be to avoid taking responsibility for doing what clearly needed done.
6 - RJ
"or you could have taken him to the pound and they could have tried to find someone who specializes in hard to manage dogs."
This is possible, but unlikely.
Most likely, the dog is never adopted, and gets the needle.
Or, the first family that expresses some interest in the animal is never told about its anti-social behavior, and they adopt a vicious killer into their home, putting themselves (as well as other pets) at risk.
7 - Steve S
I agree it's unlikely, but the dog still gets put down humanely then.
I would doubt that the pound would not pass along the anti-social behavior info, because then they can be sued. When we rescued our yellow lab from the pound, they notified us beforehand of his social problems. And I've blogged before about our black lab and her spastic behavior. She's known as a 'silly' dog. Flunked out of obedience school. Some people can handle hard to manage animals, they might have the proper home conditions to do so.
Ultimately though, it's the owners decision to do what he wants, it just wasn't the only option.
8 - Chelsea Snyder
BHW: Or you could have taken him to the vet and had him "put to sleep" peacefully, like normal people do."
I think we've all discovered that when dealing with Al, "normal" is quite relative.
9 - RogerMDillion
"Quick, painless. Just like how 100% of us wish we'd go,"
You mean like Terri Schiavo?
10 - RJ
"You mean like Terri Schiavo?"
How is being starved to death over two weeks either "quick" or "painless"?
11 - RJ
Of course, if Terri was in such a bad condition that her brain was practically dead, she couldn't really consciously feel any pain.
So, putting a bullet between her eyes would have been at least quicker, and would not have factored in at all in the "painless" scale...
Of course, renting out her mindless body to deranged necrophiliacs for 50 bucks a go wouldn't have been any more ethically challenging than merely starving her to death over two weeks, right? After all, it's not like she would have known what the hell was going on. And you could always donate the proceeds to a charity!
12 - Al Barger
Miss Chelsea, so glad to have your input, as ever. Again though, I say that the meaning of "normal" here is being hijacked.
Out here on the farm, if you have an animal that needs to be destroyed, then you take it out back and do it, with as little fuss as possible.
BHW wants to set a standard that squeamishness, unnecessary drama and expense, and fobbing off the responsibility onto others is "normal" behavior. I reject this idea.
Best I see it, if I need to have one of my animals put down, the cleanest, simplest, least stressful and most spiritually proper and responsible thing is to just do it myself.
How am I wrong?
13 - Dave Nalle
It's quick and painless when you have no ability to sense time or pain.
But back to the topic at hand.
I had to deal with the same situation a few years ago with a dog we adopted from the pound who decided it was her role in life to attack the elderly female dog we had before we got her. After trying to deal with the attacks and seeing that they just got more and more severe, we ultimately had to take her back to the pound with explicit information on her behavioral problems. I assume they gave her the needle. Under different circumstances I would have done as Al did - I've shot a few wild dogs on our land before - but I felt that this particular dog was really the humane society's responsibility, so I went along with my wife and sent her back. Not a pleasant experience.
Dave
14 - Lono
Al,
I understand and am able to empathize with your point. I also want to say that is the best and most lucid writing you have ever done here at BC.
Great fuckin' work, champ. Sorry about he dog, but we'll all get on.
lono
15 - Al Barger
Thanks so much Lono. Yeah, I hated to put the puppy down, but I sure wasn't going to wait around for him to kill my Fugitive.
16 - Silas Kain
Al, what a great piece! It's pieces like this that show the real Al Barger as I see him. You did what you knew was right and rather than dispatch the duty to another, you took charge. It's a metaphor for the way we all should live our lives.
17 - Matthew T. Sussman
RJ: "Why involve a third-party?"
Al is the third party.
18 - Teri
This was a touching story. Thank you for sharing it.
19 - Chelsea Snyder
How is it a thread about Bob shooting a dangerous dog hijacked into a thread about Terri Schiavo? Just curious.
Sorry about your dog, Al, it sucks regardless of the circumstances. When I was 6 I watched my grandfather do the same thing. Must be our rural Indiana logic, because I think for once (and document this, as it may be the only time) you and I are on the same wavelength.
20 - Silas Kain
Imagine if we could get 20% of the country to accomplish what Chelsea and Al have. Hang on, Chelsea, it starts with Terri Schiavo. Then comes gay marriage and abortion.
21 - Chelsea Snyder
We're shooting the gays and aborted fetuses? Party!!!!
22 - Matthew T. Sussman
Shooting an aborted fetus is not a crime. It's already been aborted.
23 - Michael J. West
Some of these are strictly urban views of what was, essentially, a rural dilemma. That sounds silly, but ultimately it's the rural people that understand that death and killing (of cows, of chickens, of crop-eating rodents) is a fact of life.
Al, you did the right thing. And you did it humanely.
24 - Dave Nalle
Suss, we need to pass a law protecting the rights of aborted fetuses not to be abused or molested. Only then will Jesus come and take us directly to heaven.
Dave
25 - Chelsea Snyder
Can we still have an Aborted Fetus Shooting Party in the meantime? I know Olsen's house is always a great locale ...