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To the innocent, scared German Shepherd that died in my arms at the Humane Society...

6K views 58 replies 35 participants last post by  pyratemom 
#1 · (Edited)
At the end of my Animal Care program in College, I did a two week field placement with my local humane society. I had many tasks during my placement, and the worst one BY FAR was assisting with the mass euthanizations every day. Black cats were euthanized for being black, some cats euthanized for being less social than others, dogs euthanized for every reason under the sun.

Yet there is one dog I could never forget. A big black and tan male German Shepherd that had been there for three days. Nobody came looking for him, nobody came to claim him... even though he wore a pretty custom collar with the name "Titan" on it.

He stayed in quarantine for three days... curled up at the back of the run terrified out of his mind. When people would come near him, he would tuck his ears and tail as far as they would go and curl his lip, showing clear avoidance with his eyes and head. They handled him roughly with those restraint poles anytime they had to handle him. He was very, very scared.

When three days were up, they immediately and easily made the decision to euthanize him. He was too aggressive and too far gone, they said. They told me there was no hope for a dog like him. He hadn't bitten anyone, or even tried. All he did was try to protect himself and warn anyone who came near him.

When they brought him in the room to die, I couldn't breathe. He was beautiful, and his eyes were bright yet clouded by fear. He didn't understand any of this, and just wanted to go curl up in the corner. He kept trying to back away, tail tucked tight against his belly and ears back. He didn't show his teeth or make any noise.

They asked me to help restrain, and I felt the blood pounding in my head. I couldn't say no. I had to hold him. Had to somehow let him feel loving hands even for a moment. I cradled his back end while the tech took the front and held his head and arm out firmly. The vet administered the euthanol while the beautiful boy whimpered and resigned to his fate.

Gosh, he fought it so hard. He thrashed hard against the tech who held his head, knocking her over. He backed right up into my arms and folded into me. He pushed his head into me and sighed so deeply, a mournful whine accompanying his final breath. I cried so hard my tears drenched his neck as he relaxed in my arms and slowly fell into a deep, deep sleep from which he would never wake. I held him for a moment as the two emotionless people in the room watched me. I cried, and cried and cried... I said sorry to him about a thousand times. It was so awful. I was hoping for a peaceful passing like all the others, and what I witnessed was the hopeless fight of an animal who didn't want to die.

I write here in our memorial section in his honour. I think about him all the time, and I will never forget him. I beat myself up for not stopping it, not saving him, even though I know the humane society wouldn't have surrendered him to me.

I am sorry, baby. I hope you felt my love for you before you left this world. Even just a moment of it, I hope you knew I loved you.
 
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#3 ·
Sorry to make you cry! It was very difficult to write this and re-visit the memory in detail.

I hope everyone who reads this will open a little room in their hearts for this boy. I don't want him to ever be forgotten or unloved, even if he is gone now.
 
#4 ·
Wow.. what a story. It made me tear up at work.. He is in a better place now, watching over you. He will no longer be abondoned or subject to fear. He's happy now. I'm so sorry you had to go through that.. just terrible. My best friend is a vet tech and has to assist in these situations frequently and she cries every single time, she said it never gets easier.. especially when they are being put down for no reason. Again I'm so sorry you had to experience this, I can only imagine how heartbreaking it must have been. He is in a much better place, chin up friend.
 
#6 ·
Thank you so much.. your comment made me cry again.

After the event, I got up and left the building. I got in trouble for leaving early, but I couldn't handle it. I thought I was going to scream at the manager. I spent the entire afternoon in tears, my parents did everything they could to try to cheer me up.

Like you said, he's not scared or dealing with the pain of abandonment anymore... that brings me a lot of comfort.
 
#7 ·
Working at a vet for so long (before my most current vet job), I had to assist with these situations very frequently as well, and it never once got any easier. We used to have to euthanize the dogs that did not qualify for the NY State Trooper K9 program due to medical/behavioral problems. Beautiful working GSD's that had mild elbow dysplasia or fear problems. It broke my heart every time.

If I could have taken them all home, I would have. My fellow kennel workers and I took care of thee dogs every day. They felt like our pets. Nothing can stop the pain of losing them, but it feels better knowing that they were held by people who truly cared for them and loved them until the end.

I hope this boy is running free with all the ones that I have lost as well.
 
#8 ·
Thank you for your comment.

I work in the Animal Care field and worked in a vet hospital for quite some time. You are absolutely right, it will never be an easy thing to experience - not when you truly love animals. I have seen a lot of pets put to sleep and I have never NOT cried my eyes out.

I can't imagine seeing those working dog prospects get euthanized for those things. I cannot imagine your sadness at their deaths, especially considering the fact that you cared for them. If I had been there longer and was his caregiver, it would have been so much harder... I can't even imagine.
 
#13 ·
i'm sitting here in tears. Thank you for caring for him even for just a few moments.
 
#15 ·
Humane Society is a misnomer-I tried to pull a sable female last month-supposedly dog aggressive-since I had 6 Shepherds they didn't want the liabilty-I found a rescue that would take her only to find they had killed her-I'm sure no one care enough to hold her close-we the people need to change the policies of shelters & Societies so we can save more dogs! Thanks for caring for the boy.
 
#16 ·
I agree with you. Thanks for your comment.

I asked them if he could be put in rescue and they said no, he is a liability and they are not allowed to let him go.

Horrible...
 
#18 ·
*tears*

Angel, you did your job as asked but also showed incredible kindness towards Titan. We will never know his life before ending up at the Humane Society but he left our world with kind words being spoken to him in a sincere way and being held in a loving way. Thank you.
 
#19 ·
I started reading your story and I stopped. This brings back memories of the Doberman I had to hold while he died. That was the end of my career with animals in a vet setting. My family could not do anything to make me feel better. I can remember it like it was yesterday and it was about 13 years ago:(
 
#20 ·
Wild,

Like the others, I cannot read these at work...there are tears all over my desk pad... You wrote about Titan beautifully. You are a Shining Gem that worked in a sea of ca-ca.

I was a Vet Tech for years (left nursing when I found I could no longer handle the child deaths from abuse). I loved working with the referral surgeon, but hated the senseless euthanasias. It always got especially bad around Christmas. People wanting to kill off perfectly healthy 4-5 year old dogs & cats so they could get a new puppy or kitten @ Xmas. One year, my boss had enough --- told every single prospective euthanasia owner that they had to sign over the animal to us. We'd give them a thorough exam w/blood work. If they were healthy, we'd adopt them out. Only if they were on their last legs, were they PTS.

I fostered almost a dozen myself - hubby kept telling me he was sure glad I didn't work for Marine World; that he might come home to find a wayward dolphin in the pool!

Thank you for sharing your story & memories of Titan.
 
#22 ·
You all are so amazing. Thank you all for your comments, you know exactly how I feel right now and I am so grateful for that. Thank you for thinking of Titan and caring about him too.
 
#24 ·
I am sitting here crying really hard.

Breaks my heart not only for that poor, innocent creature who probably smelled death in the air and knew what he was there for, but for you, for having to go through what no goodhearted human should have to witness, let alone assist.


Need to compose myself, then go de-crate my wonderful Hans, very thankful that he ended up with me where he has all the love we saved up for our Shepherd-to-be over 25 years of waiting to own him.
 
#26 ·
Need to compose myself, then go de-crate my wonderful Hans, very thankful that he ended up with me where he has all the love we saved up for our Shepherd-to-be over 25 years of waiting to own him.
I understand this. When I look at my boy full of life, curious & innocent it takes my breath away to think of him in that situation as Titan. I am so glad he's mine where he's safe and cared for.
 
#25 ·
Aw, Wild Wolf. :(

I volunteer at our local public shelter for the GSDs. There are far, far too many dogs like Titan in our world, and it's so hard. Thank you for your compassion, and for memorializing the worth of his unique life. **hugs**

Your post helps me recommit to fostering dogs like Titan from my local shelter. They euthanize animals to make space at my shelter, but they want the community to help them not have to do it -- so they gratefully allow qualified volunteers to serve as foster homes and take the dogs to off-site adoption events...so that fewer dogs have to suffer this fate.

I have to admit I've been thinking about foster-failing with my current foster dog because she's funny, sweet, and delightful (though she had been shy and depressed while stuck in the scary pandemonium of the shelter). Your post is a good reminder to me that keeping her would likely mean not having space to continue fostering. She will be rehomed because I need to keep a space open for a dog in need. There will always be more GSDs who need a bridge out of that shelter, and they're all special in some way. Thank you for that poignant reminder...I needed it.
 
#29 ·
Thank you for sharing! I agree with you, it is Titan that ensures when I have a home and a property (as opposed to a one bedroom apartment) I will foster German Shepherds who would otherwise be put in Titan's situation.

You are really selfless and compassionate to rehome the female you've bonded to only to foster more like her. Seriously. You're wonderful! Thank you for what you do!
 
#27 ·
I'm sitting here at work on a conference call, and I just can't stop the tears! Things like this just destroy me! I so wish there were some way that I could help these poor innocent creatures that are treated so poorly and deserve so much more. That is why I'm involved in 2 rescues...to avoid things like this. I just wish I could save them all!! :(
 
#30 ·
Thank you everyone for your comments, it's really great to know SO many here in this community can relate to this experience.
 
#32 ·
I opened and read this against my better judgement - and now I am crying too......poor guy....3 days and who knows his story - maybe someone WAS looking for him and just did not look in the right place in time.........poor scared baby...........I know it happens all the time....I just hate it....and this is why I could NOT have been a vet and why I chose not to continue working in small animal practices.....just the people who are irresponsible and not caring enough and the animals - both cats and dogs who are put to death - just cannot handle it.....

I am so sorry for your pain but thank you for caring for Titan at the end...

Lee
 
#33 ·
That is why I don't want to work in animal hospitals anymore. Just can't handle this stuff anymore, I feel like I am leaving a part of my heart with every dying animal. I'm going to have nothing left!
 
#37 ·
Thank you for the comments, everyone. Greatly appreciated.
 
#43 ·
Thank you. I was offered a job at the humane society, and I declined immediately. I couldn't imagine doing that every single day.
 
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