Jesus said in the sermon on the Mount, "Judge not lest ye be judged..." Luke 6:37Yesterday I received two emails from people I would call "acquaintances." One reads as follows: I wanted to express my condolences to you on the loss of your four legged friend. I know your decision was a difficult one to make and yet whatever caused Robbie's unpredictable behavior, he was a danger to your precious grandchild.I hope your hand has healed and that your heart knows you did the right thing.
The other reads as follows: We only destroy life because we have the power...but not the justification. There were many alternatives. You could have left him in the street or taken him to a park. Maybe something else would have happened to him, but he would have had another day. You took that day from him, not from illness but from unacceptable behaviour. When I read this news, it really made me feel badly. I can only imagine the number of times in my life when my behaviour was not acceptable...and maybe I should have been put down..but I was not. I was not a dog. You should have called me and I would have taken him and found him a better outcome. Am I judgemental? Am I speaking out of turn? You destroyed the dog because he bit you...too bad he was a bad dog. I hate to hear this news. You should feel badly.
It is amazing to me how people can judge others so harshly when they do not know all the details. I feel sorry for the second person because of the lack of compassion held in his/her heart for a fellow human being who had to make a terrible choice between an animal and the safety of other human beings.
11 comments:
The second e-mail was very unkind, and judgmental. Robbie was dangerous. Giving him a second chance would mean giving him a second chance to wound someone else. There was a dog in Victoria that big an ear off a six year-old girl yesterday. He was the family pet, and I wonder how many "chances" they had given him before he did that?
Don't feel bad, Leslie, you did the right thing. BTW, I met Robbie, and while he was a cute little dog, he was very high strung and I didn't not feel comfortable around him. And I saw the wounds he inflicted on you. They were SERIOUS wounds, not just little nips.
Josie
I meant to say "I did not" feel comfortable around him. But you knew that.
I am so sorry. Some people can be so cruel. Only you had enough information and facts to make that decision and I am sure it was a painful decision for you. You did the best you could do at the time. Please know their are bloggers that support you!
I want so much to put that person in place by answering the email, but Josie insists I behave like a lady and not dignify it with a response. So...tomorrow I'll take it out on the weeds in the back garden. lol
People are so very harsh sometimes. I often wonder how unhappy they must be to be constantly passing judgment on others.
I'm sorry your were hurt by this dog and I hope it heals quickly.
Sorry Leslie,I can not resist such blatant ignorance
Quote from your 2nd email:
"We only destroy life because we have the power...but not the justification. There were many alternatives. You could have left him in the street or taken him to a park. Maybe something else would have happened to him, but he would have had another day. You took that day from him, not from illness but from unacceptable behaviour"
Firstly I would like to say that I am an avid animal lover.
However...my oh my oh my, we must keep things in perspective: we are referring to an animal NOT a human being!
If a human displayed similar violent outburts and aggressive behavior as did Robbie, ultimately biting another human drawing blood, they would more than likely be
#1 arrested
#2 charged
#3 prosecuted
#4 mandated to undergo cognitive behavioral therapy
#5 undergo drug therapy
#6 awarded a life long record for violent & aggressive behavior
etc etc etc
Violence and agressivity is unacceptable behavior at any and all levels...plain and simple.
In my world (I am sure I speak for many other rational people such as yourself Leslie) had you given Robbie "another day" abandonded on a street or in the park there is absolutely no doubt "something else would have happened to him" and to you!!!!! As animals are not great cognitive behavioral therapy candidates (thier language skills are not quite up to snuff!)......chances are he would more than likely have ripped into a small child's face and the consequences of that choice would have been overwhelming and devastating...perhaps even deadly.
Your choice?? Clearly was the only choice that could have been made under the given circumstances by a rational loving pet owner.
I applaud you Leslie, tough tough call.
IF YOU THINK IT IS WRONG
YOU ARE RIGHT
and....YOU WERE RIGHT!!!!
hugs
Cheryl xox
Thanks Cheryl for affirming my decision was right. In my head I know it was right although it was still a difficult decision to make. All your reasoning, along with advice from animal specialists, is exactly what I already had to go through in making my decision. It's just hard to be criticized so harshly after having to make such a decision. Obviously, that critic is no longer a "friend."
Leslie, see? I told you everyone would agree with you.
Folks, I have to tell you, I saw Leslie's wounds, and they were severe enough to put her into shock and send her to an emergency room - twice - for stitches and a tetanus shot. We are not talking about little "nips" here, but severe wounds. Leslie loved that little dog, so it was a difficult decision for her.
Josie
Leslie, the dog was your responsibility. Doing what you did must have been terribly painful to you, but you did what you did because, no matter how unpleasant, it needed to be done, for reasons Josie has already laid out.
As for the person who wrote email #2, that person is to be pitied. They must not have much of a life.
My daughter had to put her dog down when he turned mean all of a sudden and bit not only her son but her own face as well. The vet said a lot of dogs are so interbred now that they develop tumors that cause this kind of irrational behavior. To take a further chance could have resulted in even more serious wounds. Put your mind at rest Leslie that you did indeed do the right thing.
Thanks everyone - the weeds are whacked and I'm moving forward. No more pets for me for a while until I do some other things for myself - like travel, write, etc.
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