Of strays and other animal issues

Since my daughter kept asking me for a dog I decided to adopt one from PARC (the Philippine Animal Welfare Society’s Animal rehabilitation Center)," says Ginny Gonzalez. Ginny adopted Swatch, a full-grown stray who was rescued by Oscar Lei of PARC. Ginny says that she was not too hot about buying a puppy for her three- year-old daughter because of the difficulty that comes with raising a pup.

Since Ginny grew up with dogs, she says that having had many pups in her home, she has found it difficult to determine what the temperament of a puppy will be when it matures. That, she says, is unlike a fully grown dog which is a "what you see is what you get dog." "I went to PARC and saw Swatch. She was exactly what I was looking for so I took her home," shares Ginny.

Why Swatch?

"We wanted to give her a cute and fun name," quips Ginny. "This way hopefully she will be a fun doggie to have around." Both Ginny and her daughter now spend hours playing catch together. After all, Ginny adds Swatch is basically an outdoor dog. Ginny has opted to keep Swatch on their farm in the province where she can have all the space she wants and needs. Ginny believes that adoption is the way to go for people who are looking for dogs with specific personalities. She recommends that a person who wants to raise a puppy must have lots of patience. Ginny says that adopting a dog from PARC is the best option for any one looking for a dog. "The dogs at PARC are screened for temperament and health before they are let up for adoption," says Ginny. "Besides seeing how happy Swatch has made my daughter, I am sure that I made the right choice."

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When is it time to put a good dog down? Do we ever really know? I have heard many stories from the people I have interviewed in this section about how difficult it is to decide whether euthanasia is the best for their pet. Many veterinarians have told me that one of the most difficult things they have to do is to tell the pet owner that there is nothing more they can do to save the pet, so they have to put the dog down. For most pet owners, making the decision to put a pet down can be as difficult as deciding how to handle a case of a terminally ill relative. But, I am told that most pet owners will allow their pets to be put to sleep when they are satisfied that everything has been done for their pet. Many times the decision to euthanize comes when they see the difficulty their pet is undergoing while he is alive.

One of the issues that animal welfare groups face is the question of putting down strays, since overpopulation of these animals continues to be a problem here.

Oscar Lei of the Philippine Animal Welfare Society tells us that euthanasia which comes from the Greek word euthanos means easy death. And, says Oscar for the death of the animal to be easy the animal being euthanized must experience the least stress possible. PAWS is angry that there have been people who equate euthanasia with the execution of criminals. But Oscar disputes this thinking, saying that when a convict is executed it is because he has done wrong in society and thus is being punished for the crime. "An animal being euthanized is usually one that is homeless or very sick. They are euthanized to alleviate their suffering which is normally perpetuated by an indifferent and irresponsible society," adds Oscar.

At PARC an animal is put down if it has a contagious illness and can be caught by the other animals in the shelter. However, for animals with behavioral problems the shelter allows for a few weeks before making a decision. If the animal continues to display fierce behavior and cannot be adopted out, then the shelter has no choice but to put the animal down.

The only universally accepted way of performing euthanasia is through intravenous injection of a euthanasia agent. This is normally sodium pentobarbital or a similar drug, adds Oscar. What this drug does is to make the animal unconscious and it is almost immediately followed by the cessation of bodily functions. "If done properly the animal hardly experiences any pain, and the whole process takes a minute or less," he says.

At PARC, shelter workers who are most familiar with the animals are the ones who assist in the procedure. "While this arrangement is beneficial to the animal being put down, since it helps calm the animals and reassures them of being in the hands of caring personnel – tears are not uncommon at this time," says Oscar.

But, what often makes matters worse is that there are some people who have labeled people who do this procedure as murderers, executioners or killers. Oscar informs us that comments of this nature may even come from people who are also animal welfare advocates but are against euthanasia. "It is sad that PARC and even other animal control facilities that choose euthanasia over other forms of putting down animals (gassing, with engine exhaust fume, shooting or beating to death) are routinely referred to as slaughterhouses," laments Oscar.

"Euthanasia of unwanted animals is a consequence of animal overpopulation, and the indifference of society to the suffering of these animals – it has never been advertised as a solution to the problems by either PAWS or any right-thinking animal protectionist group. Even staunch animal rights groups like People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) recognizes the fact that euthanasia is unavoidable in many instances. The important question is: Is it being done properly? There is no such a thing as barbaric euthanasia – it is either euthanasia or it’s not," shares Oscar.

Our heart goes out to the many animal welfare groups that have been faced with the responsibility of euthanizing an animal. It is never easy. I have been to PARC often but one of the first things that I observed the first time I went there was how gentle and loving all the PAWS volunteers are towards the animals that pass through their shelter. It is hard for me to even think of PARC as a slaughterhouse.

PAWS president Nita Hontiveros-Lichauco put it best when she said: "It is better for us to feel the pain in our heart when we have to put down an animal, than to let them suffer – this is part of our sacrifice, in the service of animal welfare."