Euthanasia

[cowgirl in MO]

Do you think most veterinarians are opposed to doing euthanasia when someone walks in and says "I don't want my dog/cat/horse any more, and I want you to euthanize it?" I know that I am definitely opposed to this when the animal is healthy and could be placed into a different home, but if the person will not let you take their animal and try to find a home for it, what is the best thing to do as the veterinarian being asked to euthanize this perfectly healthy animal?

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[No Imagination]

We working on our interview questions are we?

Honestly, it's a good question because there is no right answer. All you can do is pick a stance, "Yes" or "No" and have some logically sound reason to back it up, then be able to talk intelligently about those reasons

 

[StayingHopeful]

I know in my clinic we give the option of releasing the animal to us. That way, we can decide if the animal is healthy enough to be re-homed and can work on any behavioral issues. The tricky part about that is that people might take advantage of that and you could end up with MANY released pets in which case you might have to just decline to treat (aka euthanize) the animal and can suggest that they go to a shelter or another vet. I know when the economy first started having big troubles, we had a few animals released to us for financial reasons, and it is sad, but at the end of the day it is better for the animal to be cared for and for the people to focus on getting by.

 

[cowgirl in MO]

It is a question I am pondering as I think about interview questions! Thanks for your response. I do have a stance, and I'll just be honest if I am asked that question.

 

[cowgirl in MO]

I know in my clinic we give the option of releasing the animal to us. That way, we can decide if the animal is healthy enough to be re-homed and can work on any behavioral issues. The tricky part about that is that people might take advantage of that and you could end up with MANY released pets in which case you might have to just decline to treat (aka euthanize) the animal and can suggest that they go to a shelter or another vet. I know when the economy first started having big troubles, we had a few animals released to us for financial reasons, and it is sad, but at the end of the day it is better for the animal to be cared for and for the people to focus on getting by.

I know of other clinics that give the client the option of releasing the animal, and I am all for that! I just think that when it's all said and done, if the client says he'll let the animal go into the streets if you, the vet, will not euthanize it, then maybe that poor animal will be better off if you do euthanize it.

 

[StayingHopeful]

I know of other clinics that give the client the option of releasing the animal, and I am all for that! I just think that when it's all said and done, if the client says he'll let the animal go into the streets if you, the vet, will not euthanize it, then maybe that poor animal will be better off if you do euthanize it.

That is not a situation I have ever heard of. Has this happened to you? I don't doubt it is possible because people can surprise you, but what would be the reasoning for that threat?

The only requests to euthanize healthy pets I have come across was either because they didn't want the pet anymore or because they couldn't afford the pet anymore.

Now I'm curious...

 

[starlene45]

An option that the DVMs at my clinic give to owners in this situation is taking the animal to Animal Control for euthanasia. In my experience we have never asked the owner of a convenience euth to surrender the pet-- we only do that in cases where the pet needs medical care and the owner is considering euth due to financial restraints.

All the Dr's at my clinic are strongly opposed to "convenience" euthansias, and I have seen a small number of clients turned away b/c the Dr on duty did not feel comfortable euthanizing the pet (I work Emergency so often we have no history with the client/patient). It is never an easy situation and clients are often upset but I have always been impressed by how the Dr's I work with handle it.

 

[No Imagination]

That is not a situation I have ever heard of. Has this happened to you?

While thats never happened to me before, I've opened up the hospital in the morning and found strays (dogs) tied to the door knob, outside sign, ect on more then one occasion (Probably 12 or so times over the 6 years I was there).

Learned it was easier to throw the animal in my car and bring him to the ASPCA rather then into the hospital.

Once you take possession of an animal in that situation, you can't just euthanize it (apparently), but if say a tech sees a stray animal tied to a door and takes it upon themselves to deliver the animal to a shelter, the hospital can avoid getting involved.

 

[Skillet9886]

Obviously it's a controversial topic, and if you get asked this question in an interview, I would expect to be pressed after you give an answer. If you say you wouldn't euthanize it, what if the owner wouldn't release it and said they were going to go home and drown it? Would you euthanize it then? What is more humane? Remember, you work for the client, not the patient; when is it best to honor the client's wishes, and when is it best to disagree and refuse treatment?

I think the most important thing is whatever you decide, stick to it. Have a strong stance on the issue, and don't be closed-minded, but show that you've considered all the angles and have an ethical standpoint.

 

[Electrophile]

I don't remember where I saw this (maybe on here?) but I saw one place that in addition to the signing the animal over, the hospital charged them a non-negotiable rehoming fee that was the same price as the euthanasia fee. So say if you charged $40 for the euthanasia solution, catheter, etc for a dog or cat, they would get the $40 toward food, medical care, and upkeep of the animal until it could be found a new home. That may discourage a little bit of the dumping off of animals too...

As far as actual convenience euthanasia, I personally opposed to them. However, if the owner absolutely 110% cannot be convinced to sign the animal over to the hospital, I'd rather have the dog euthanized in a relatively peaceful setting at the hospital/clinic rather than the stay over time at the shelter where there is little to no hope of adoption (like a large older adult/senior black or brindle dog with few manners and in mediocre to poor condition, for example) where it is also highly stressful. It sucks either way, but saying you won't do it just puts the job on someone else, it doesn't make the problem go away.

 

[Electrophile]

Once you take possession of an animal in that situation, you can't just euthanize it (apparently), but if say a tech sees a stray animal tied to a door and takes it upon themselves to deliver the animal to a shelter, the hospital can avoid getting involved.

I'm just curious...if the animal was in really poor shape and not a good candidate for adoption, who would know if you euthanized it or not, other than maybe the drug log? The people dumping the animal obviously don't care.

I'm also not sure why that would be illegal, as my first dog as an adult was like that. He was found tied to the fence of the little country animal shelter overnight and when I went to go check him out, the ACO told me that she was glad she contacted me, because they were about to put him down the next day if I didn't take him. Small wonder I walked away with him after she said that.

 

[RazorDoc2010]

I would explain the options to the owner (surrender the animal, take to the shelter), but if they did not want any of those, I would euthanize it. In my mind, it's better for an animal to die a humane death then to not know what they're going to do with it.

Also, the AVMA is not opposed to convenience euthanasia (for similar reasons as mine).

 

[No Imagination]

Electrophile.

Not sure if it was illegal or not to euthanize these animals, but I believe there was both a public image issue as well as responsibility issue in terms of the hospital/Vet.

Not to mention, disposal of the body can be $$

I know that in terms of boarding, if a person abandons their animal at the kennel/vet, you are required to send out 3 certified letters, 14 days apart before you can destroy the animal (at least in my state).

One time, about a day or 2 after a dobi was left in the back to the hospital some women actually came in looking for the dog, told the hospital that her significant other/boyfriend/drug deal/pimp got rid of it on her and she wanted it back. The vet was able to look her right in the eye and say "I have no idea what dog your talking about".

 

[cowgirl in MO]

That is not a situation I have ever heard of. Has this happened to you? I don't doubt it is possible because people can surprise you, but what would be the reasoning for that threat?

The only requests to euthanize healthy pets I have come across was either because they didn't want the pet anymore or because they couldn't afford the pet anymore.

Now I'm curious...

No, that has not happened to me! I'm just thinking what is the best thing to do if that ever did happen.

 

[Shanomong]

Electrophile.

Not sure if it was illegal or not to euthanize these animals, but I believe there was both a public image issue as well as responsibility issue in terms of the hospital/Vet.

Not to mention, disposal of the body can be $$

I know that in terms of boarding, if a person abandons their animal at the kennel/vet, you are required to send out 3 certified letters, 14 days apart before you can destroy the animal (at least in my state).

One time, about a day or 2 after a dobi was left in the back to the hospital some women actually came in looking for the dog, told the hospital that her significant other/boyfriend/drug deal/pimp got rid of it on her and she wanted it back. The vet was able to look her right in the eye and say "I have no idea what dog your talking about".

Idk if I'm going to get flamed for this... but I have to say I strongly disagree with that decision. It's unethical, and it is making a snap judgement about a person without all of the information. Of course more likely than not it was a correct judgement, but you can't really know what the situation is based on one encounter with the person. The oath we'll all (hopefully ) take is an oath to help people above all. What if she's a recovering druggie and that dog is the only stability she has? What if it was inherited from a relative who passed away and it's her only connection to them... or what if it was homeless and she "saved" it from the streets and maybe that's the one and only positive attribute she sees in herself? It's not our job nor our business to take that away from her. People can place an insane amount of emotional importance on their pets (myself included) and it can be extremely damaging for them to lose them.

Plus it's illegal... pets are property, and that's theft.

If there's obvious abuse then there are legal ways to handle the situation. But just disapproving of how someone raises their pet when they're not breaking any laws is not a justifiable reason to take the animal from them unlawfully.

 

[No Imagination]

It's unethical, and it is making a snap judgement about a person without all of the information. Of course more likely than not it was a correct judgement, but you can't really know what the situation is based on one encounter with the person.

I'm not sure what the ladies situation was, but I was referring to the person who dropped the dog off, not the lady (however, iirc she wasn't someone you would want to leave your kids with anyway).

Plus it's illegal... pets are property, and that's theft.

If there's obvious abuse then there are legal ways to handle the situation. But just disapproving of how someone raises their pet when they're not breaking any laws is not a justifiable reason to take the animal from them unlawfully.

Umm, Not sure if you quoted the right thread... I'm not saying I stole some ladies dog or anything. I'm saying, when dog's are abandoned on our property, we bring them to a public shelter, rather then get involved.

No one said anything about abuse, or stealing, so... i'm sorry?

 

[david594]

No one said anything about abuse, or stealing, so... i'm sorry?

You said the woman can in looking for the dog that had been left in the hospital 2 days earlier and that the owner said they had no idea who the dog was.

I think we are just unclear on what actually ended up happening with that dog? Dig it get brought to the shelter? Was it put down? Or was it still in the back of the clinic and the owner just didnt want it returned to that woman?

 

[robeezy08]

Well this is a good question - I've worked in both small animal private practice and 24HR emergency hospitals and found that w/ most of the clients who choose to euth/reliquish their pets - most can be solved/treated if the vet and/or vet tech asks questions to dig deeper into the situation. Sometimes the issue isn't as life threatening as they assumed. For instance, some owners want to give up on their pet b/c of severe flea infestation but w/ a little capstar, a bath and monthly topical flea treatments, their problem is solved and owner/pet go home happy.
I've never run into a situation when an owner gave the hospital an ultimatum - If you don't euth than I will - that would def be grounds for animal abuse.
I've seen other situations where an "owner" brings in an animal they "found" or one which their neighbor had "asked" them to euth b/c the neighbor couldn't bear to do it themselves. Those are fishy and the vets I've worked for don't euth, b/c you never really know if it's their dog - could be a disgruntled neighbor w/ someone else's "likes to bark all night long and I'm tired of it" dog. Along the same lines as previous posts...
But for cases of economic hardship and/or behavioral issues the vets had suggested the SPCA if they choose to reliquish.

Just my two cents, hope this helps a bit!

 

[No Imagination]

You said the woman can in looking for the dog that had been left in the hospital 2 days earlier and that the owner said they had no idea who the dog was.

I think we are just unclear on what actually ended up happening with that dog? Dig it get brought to the shelter? Was it put down? Or was it still in the back of the clinic and the owner just didnt want it returned to that woman?

Ahh, I see. Yeah, guess I was a bit unclear. The dog was never brought into the clinic, it was left tied to something in the back, and was then brought to a shelter (to avoid such situations and complications I've gathered).

I thought Shanomong was suggesting we stole the animal or something, my mistake.

 

[chris03333]

Do you think most veterinarians are opposed to doing euthanasia when someone walks in and says "I don't want my dog/cat/horse any more, and I want you to euthanize it?" I know that I am definitely opposed to this when the animal is healthy and could be placed into a different home, but if the person will not let you take their animal and try to find a home for it, what is the best thing to do as the veterinarian being asked to euthanize this perfectly healthy animal?

"why do you not want your pet anymore?"

Have discussion and find out exactly what the problem is (most of the time there is more to the "I do not want my pet anymore" story)

If in fact they do just want me to euthanize because they don't want the pet, and are opposed to adoption...

"I do not perform convenience euthanasia."

This would likely be followed by the proper place to take the animal to (usually some sort of animal control/humane society)...

 

[chris03333]

I just think that when it's all said and done, if the client says he'll let the animal go into the streets if you, the vet, will not euthanize it, then maybe that poor animal will be better off if you do euthanize it.

No, if all is said and done and a client tells me that, I will educate the client on pet abandonment/cruelty laws...

 

[AgtOrange]

I think each situation is a little different and should be handled as such.

If an owner brings a healthy, bouncing 6 month old puppy to be euthanized because he "barks too much", I would not perform a convenience euthanasia - I would either get the owner to agree to take the dog to the shelter, or I would take him in myself and put him up for adoption if I had the space and resources.

On the other hand, if the owner brings in a 16 year old cat that has been peeing outside the box for, oh, say, three years (this happened last week), and is completely and utterly unwilling to pursue diagnostics of any kind...that's a different situation. It's pretty easy to tell when the human-animal bond has totally broken down - certain people just want to be rid of the "problem", even if the cost of an exam, UA, and antibiotics is cheaper than the euthanasia/mass cremation. I would rather euthanize that animal in a quick and humane manner, rather than sending it to the shelter to sit in a cage for three months, terrified, before being euthanized.

So, I guess I see it as a spectrum, from young and healthy to old and sick - if the pet has a reasonable chance of finding a new home, I think it can be appropriate to refuse the euthanasia. However, when the owner shows up with a couple hundred in cash, doesn't know what kind of breed his clearly-Siamese cat is, and doesn't even have a name for her after 16 years...that owner is not going to be convinced to do treatment, and the pet is not going to make it at the shelter. It doesn't mean you shouldn't try to convince them of the error of their ways - you absolutely should - but in that case I would acquiesce to a euthanasia.

 

[sumstorm]

I agree that every situation is individual.

Something we haven't mentioned is patient-client relationship. We are VERY hesitant to euthanize animals that we do not have an established relationship with because there is a risk that the ex, sibling, neighbor, etc, brought the pet in.

We work with clients requesting euth due to cost for procedures. If it is a behavioral issue that we believe can be addressed, we won't euth unless the owner works with a trainer and us to solve the issue (ie urinating out of litter boxes, barking, food bowl guarding.)

If it is a 'I am moving and can't take my pet', 'my pet doesn't match the furniture', 'it didn't turn out to be very cute when it grew up', etc, we won't do it. Sorry. We may offer to rehouse in rare circumstances (where we know someone that could take the pet immediatly, the animal is exceptional, etc.) Yes, I have heard all the reasons above and worse.

We are regularly threatened with mistreatment of animals. We are on the brink of a backwoods region. A lot of people in our county routinely 'release' thier hunting hounds (packs of 5-30 animals) at the end of hunting season.

In a high kill region (animal control wise), offering to take unwanted animals on is a very risky situation. The cost of placing an animal can be difficult, and there is some assumed liability when one places an animal (ran a humane society for a while, so learned all about placement risks.) Say you take in $100 to rehome an animal.... you could potentially be considered an animal broker. Also, if you considered time to care for that animal, food, shelter, care....those aren't free. Labor costs add up far more quickly than most people calculate.

I understand both sides of the argument. Quality of life issues can be reasonable reasons to euth, but I wouldn't be willing to euth for convenience. I shocked one woman by offering to buy her ipod (for a fair price) from her so she would have food for her dog when she wanted to euth it due to financial issues. She turned me down flat...the ipod was more valuable to her then her healthy 5 year old pet that had, according to her, comforted her through her divorce.



Su

 

[starlene45]

No, if all is said and done and a client tells me that, I will educate the client on pet abandonment/cruelty laws...

Chris and robeezy-- I totally agree with you guys-- do you think most states uphold those kind of laws? I feel like an owner killing a healthy pet at home b/c a vet wouldn't euthanize would definitely fall into the category of cruelty, but I dont know if the US has national standards for this kind of thing?

I had a scary discussion with a cop in a suburb of Chicago, IL once whose view was that pets are property and owners can do whatever they want (in this case it was witholding medical care on an ill animal). In California, where I live, that totally doesn't hold up, but I couldn't convince this particular cop that a welfare check on the dog was in order. Luckily the dog got better and is okay now...

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

If you say you wouldn't euthanize it, what if the owner wouldn't release it and said they were going to go home and drown it?

That's what really worries me about it, if the owner insists on euth and refuses adoption, etc. Same thing with something like being a good surgeon and declaws. You hate to do them, but if you don't, they might take it to some chop shop down the road. At least, if you did the procedure you could be sure that the cat went through as little pain as possible. Our #1 concern is the health and comfort of the animals, not trying desperately to convert EVERY single silly owner. Some fights need to be lost for the good of the animal. I know euthanasia is a big step beyond that, but I worry about owners going home and just sticking their dog in the oven, or beat it to death (or shooting their horse...you'd be surprised how few people can properly shoot a horse, and how many horses live through it). I would HATE to do it...but it would be at least making sure the animal went peacefully

 

[Mama070609]

I agree that every situation is individual.

We are regularly threatened with mistreatment of animals. We are on the brink of a backwoods region. A lot of people in our county routinely 'release' thier hunting hounds (packs of 5-30 animals) at the end of hunting season.

That's just wild! Decent hunting dogs are not only expensive, but require a good amount of training. I've seen dumped dogs...I've seen packs of wild dogs (domesticated breeds, either turned loose or runaways...became wild and will attack anything and everything they run across)...but to release a pack of your hunting dogs? Wow.

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In addition to referring pet owners to the ASPCA, is referring them to breed or other rescue organizations also commonly done?

 

[sumstorm]

If you have 3-5 bitches that you breed every year....

For pack hunters like beagles and fox hound, a few good leaders do more to run a pack, so lots of mediocore dogs fill it out. So, the cost of feeding them over 1/2 a year is more expensive than having another litter. These are typically unvaccinated as well. Since we have a mild winter, you don't get the poor conditions for breeding in the winter, so the dog population is a huge problem. I personally think dumped dogs are more dangerous than feral dogs, because they tend to lack any fear of humans.

I have had the (mis?) fortune of living in quite a few states, and I can say there is a huge variation in how animals are cared for, and how stressed support systems like animal control, humane societies, etc are currently.

The county I work in

 

[aspiringDVM]

Is there any sort of legal action in place that would allow a vet clinic to hold an animal if they had good cause to believe it was in serious danger in the custody of its owner? I'm thinking specifically of a situation where an owner brings in an completely healthy animal and demands that you euthanize it or they will go home and drown/shoot it. I'm sure it probably varies from state to state, and would be a nightmare to implement, but it seems like there should be some sort of legal recourse.

 

[Shanomong]

I'm not sure what the ladies situation was, but I was referring to the person who dropped the dog off, not the lady (however, iirc she wasn't someone you would want to leave your kids with anyway).



Umm, Not sure if you quoted the right thread... I'm not saying I stole some ladies dog or anything. I'm saying, when dog's are abandoned on our property, we bring them to a public shelter, rather then get involved.

No one said anything about abuse, or stealing, so... i'm sorry?

I quoted the right thread. You said the dog was left tied outside your clinic, the owner came looking for it, and your vet lied and said he didn't know what she was talking about. The way the story is presented here, that is theft. Just because you didn't go to her yard and steal the dog (which, c'mon, obviously that is not what I was implying) doesn't mean that you're not illegally retaining her property.

I don't know what you mean when you say "I was referring to the person who dropped the dog off" since you found the dog outside and never met that person?

I read your response to David's post, that the dog was not at your hospital and had been taken to a shelter. That wasn't what I took away from the original post, I thought you still had him at your place.... if the dog was in a shelter at that point then I doubt there is anything illegal about what your vet did, but I still think it's highly unethical.

 

[No Imagination]

I think we will have to agree to disagree on that one.

There is nothing unethical about not taking a stray dog in and simply dropping it off at a shelter. Had the vet said "Yeah, it was here, we brought it to the shelter where it was most likely put down already" would not have been gone over well.

Had we taken the dog in, then what? Kept it until we found him a home? Put up "Found" posters on every street? Euthanize him?

A lot of running a successful veterinary hospital is PR and public perception. One mistake on the part of a vet can really hurt business, and putting down a abandoned dog that you don't own, or even finding said dog a home can come back to bite you.

What if that lady came in 2-3 weeks after the fact?

As a vet I don't think I would put down a dog without an owners consent unless it was absolutely medically necessary (excluding shelter medicine obviously).

At least in my state, once you take possession of an animal, its not that easy to legally get rid of it if you don't own it (like I said, 3 cert. letters 14 days apart), and even then, you don't want to be known as that vet who kills random stray animals.

I don't know what you mean when you say "I was referring to the person who dropped the dog off" since you found the dog outside and never met that person?

some women actually came in looking for the dog, told the hospital that her significant other/boyfriend/drug deal/pimp got rid of it on her and she wanted it back.

 

[Shanomong]

Fair enough =). And i'm not 100% set on any right or wrong answer with a scenario like that...

I definitely think taking the dog to the shelter immediately is a fine thing to do. I don't think it should reflect negatively on the practice, whether the animal was euthanized or not by that point. If it was not a regular client of yours then there is no reasonable expectation that you could do anything more than a shelter could to find the owners; the shelter would actually be better equipped to locate an owner since it is part of their regular business. I think it would look worse to lie about taking it to the shelter, and for the owner to then go to the shelter, find out who turned it in (if that's info they give out? not sure), and realize you lied. I guess I just stand by the idea that honesty is always the best policy. I realize that real life situations are way more complex than anything we could come up with on here... but in my opinion a scenario where a dog was left outside your building, you turned it over to the proper authorities, and the owner contacted you looking for it a couple of days later is pretty straightforward. I would have told the owner that the dog had been abandoned outside the office and was taken to the shelter, and given her the contact info. That's all I'm saying.

I agree with a lot of the stuff you post on here, but I guess you're right, this is one thing we'll have to agree to disagree on =)

I think we will have to agree to disagree on that one.

There is nothing unethical about not taking a stray dog in and simply dropping it off at a shelter. Had the vet said "Yeah, it was here, we brought it to the shelter where it was most likely put down already" would not have been gone over well.

Had we taken the dog in, then what? Kept it until we found him a home? Put up "Found" posters on every street? Euthanize him?

A lot of running a successful veterinary hospital is PR and public perception. One mistake on the part of a vet can really hurt business, and putting down a abandoned dog that you don't own, or even finding said dog a home can come back to bite you.

What if that lady came in 2-3 weeks after the fact?

As a vet I don't think I would put down a dog without an owners consent unless it was absolutely medically necessary (excluding shelter medicine obviously).

At least in my state, once you take possession of an animal, its not that easy to legally get rid of it if you don't own it (like I said, 3 cert. letters 14 days apart), and even then, you don't want to be known as that vet who kills random stray animals.

 

[No Imagination]

but in my opinion a scenario where a dog was left outside your building, you turned it over to the proper authorities, and the owner contacted you looking for it a couple of days later is pretty straightforward. I would have told the owner that the dog had been abandoned outside the office and was taken to the shelter, and given her the contact info. That's all I'm saying.

Yeah, I can't say I disagree with you on that either, and i'm not even sure our hospitals policy is in the greater good. It may be one of those Business Decisions vs. Right thing to do situations.

Morale of the story, don't abandon you animals

I love it when threads resolve themselves, I hate misunderstandings on forums, but am more then willing to say "I'm wrong on that matter" once all the facts are agree'd upon

 

[cowgirl in MO]

No, if all is said and done and a client tells me that, I will educate the client on pet abandonment/cruelty laws...

chris03333 - thank you very much for both your answers. Is there information on the AVMA or another site where I can read more about pet abandonment and cruelty laws?

 

[sumstorm]

Shanomong, I have to say I would agree that honesty is the best policy.

I would have told the woman 'oh, I am soooo glad you stopped by! There was a dog of that description left outside of the building, but because it didn't have a collar/microchip/tatoo, we didn't know who it belonged to. And since we didn't know who it belonged to, we had to assume that it wasn't UTD on vaccines, and our policy is that we don't house animals who are not vaccinated to protect our kennels and other patients from diseases. We turned it in to Mr J at UVC Animal Control. I'll write down the number and address for you.'

Yes, the person may have been upset, but at least she wasn't left wandering if her dog was starving somewhere, being used as a bait dog, etc.

 

[cwazy cat lady]

I think we will have to agree to disagree on that one.

There is nothing unethical about not taking a stray dog in and simply dropping it off at a shelter. Had the vet said "Yeah, it was here, we brought it to the shelter where it was most likely put down already" would not have been gone over well.

Had we taken the dog in, then what? Kept it until we found him a home? Put up "Found" posters on every street? Euthanize him?

A lot of running a successful veterinary hospital is PR and public perception. One mistake on the part of a vet can really hurt business, and putting down a abandoned dog that you don't own, or even finding said dog a home can come back to bite you.

What if that lady came in 2-3 weeks after the fact?

As a vet I don't think I would put down a dog without an owners consent unless it was absolutely medically necessary (excluding shelter medicine obviously).

At least in my state, once you take possession of an animal, its not that easy to legally get rid of it if you don't own it (like I said, 3 cert. letters 14 days apart), and even then, you don't want to be known as that vet who kills random stray animals.

My two cents...

You could take in the animal and alert the local shelter/animal care and control group that has jurisdiction over that area. There are usually minimum stray holds (3 business days, usu.) and after that, the animal is municipal property. Most animals though, the vast vast majority, are never claimed, particularly cats. So, I love it when I hear that vet clinics are doing much of the vetting/rehoming for strays turned into them as they are saving a space in a shelter. Most shelters euthanize for space. Many animals do not thrive at shelters and could get euthanized for medical/behavioral reasons. I know because I work at one (but not a typical shelter, thank goodness). The vet clinics simply ought to notify the organization to let them know what they took in and when in order to give that animal it's rightful 'stray hold' and chance to be claimed. But if they can keep the animal out of the shelter, they are doing that animal and another animal (that will occupy its kennel) a favor...

 

[sumstorm]

So, I love it when I hear that vet clinics are doing much of the vetting/rehoming for strays turned into them as they are saving a space in a shelter. Most shelters euthanize for space. Many animals do not thrive at shelters and could get euthanized for medical/behavioral reasons. I know because I work at one (but not a typical shelter, thank goodness). The vet clinics simply ought to notify the organization to let them know what they took in and when in order to give that animal it's rightful 'stray hold' and chance to be claimed. But if they can keep the animal out of the shelter, they are doing that animal and another animal (that will occupy its kennel) a favor...

It's not legal in all places to hold a stray animal. In someplaces, legally, a stray MUST be turned in to AC (animal control) and/or it is illegal to adopt out an animal that wasn't processed through AC (in other words, not all ordinances are set up to enable off shelter housing with notification to AC.) This is a legal issue that I have had the challenge of dealing with as a county employee, a non-profit employee, a humane society volunteer, and a vet clinic employee. It is very important to know the legalities of your state, county/parish, and local government. Violating these ordinances can be very problematic for a business owner.

Another consideration here is that by taking stray animals into a vet clinic, you may be exposing other animals to things like respiratory infections, parvo, etc. If you have an isolation ward, you may be utilizing an important resource that you might need for patients. This is costly on a number of levels. That isn't including potential treatment of the animal.

Follow all of that by the cost to care for these animals and the conditions they may live in. Someone needs to clean, feed, and exercise these animals. Especially in clinics that don't board, that can mean an extra person on off days (such as Sunday), not to mention extra staff hours every week. These are real costs that can be damaging. Also, many clinics are not set up for the appropriate residential care of animals (I realize many shelters aren't either) but if the animals' entire existance is going to be limited to a small cage, with limited interaction with people and limited exercise...well, for some animals that can create temperment issues.

Let me share a recent experience with this. Someone dumped 4 kittens on our doorstep. Our vet took them in which was fine and we started vax. Within a week, we found ringworm on the kittens. However, the kittens had already had 'exercise' time out in the wards and in the exam rooms (places that could be closed off.) Ringworm is contagious; within 3 weeks we had over a dozen client's pets develop ringworm, about half of which were inside only animals without other exposure. I am glad our vet was honest and treated these cases for free, but it was costly in terms of treatment, time, energy, effort, and customer relations. It is hard to explain to an upset parent that thier inside only cat probably got ringworm at our clinic, and a week later, get the call that thier child has it as well.

In the end, it took 3 months to place 3 out of 4 kittens. We were never able to place the last one, which did go to AC. Realisticly, we weren't set up to quarentine strays, to provide adequate exercise, and/or to display kittens for adoption. It was a very costly experience which damaged our reputation with clients, right before a pretty severe economic downturn in the primary industry that supports this region (banking.)

If a vet has the ability and set up, is within the legalities of thier locale, and wants to provide for strays, then by all means they should. Realisticly, in high kill areas, this can mean a vet who is inundated with animals (or now, in areas where people can no longer afford thier pets.) I would suggest anyone doing this routinely to set up a legal non-profit. I don't think there should be an expectation that vets become a center for animal sheltering, or should feel bad abou utilizing shelters for strays and abandoned animals.

 

[Bill59]

Is there any sort of legal action in place that would allow a vet clinic to hold an animal if they had good cause to believe it was in serious danger in the custody of its owner?

I don't think so, although as you said, the details will vary from state to state. In most cases the best thing to do is contact animal control, who might have the authority to do so. The only laws I know of allowing you to detain an animal is when the client has not paid their bill (also varies by state).

In a few states, veterinarians are required to report animal cruelty although I'm not sure about reporting threats of future cruelty. And many states have laws protecting veterinarians from repercussions when they report cruelty in good faith.

 

[sumstorm]

In a few states, veterinarians are required to report animal cruelty although I'm not sure about reporting threats of future cruelty. And many states have laws protecting veterinarians from repercussions when they report cruelty in good faith.

The inverse of this is true as well: in some places you can't report cruelty/neglect if the owner is seeking treatment from a vet...even if they are only selecting partial treatment.