HAYDEN, Idaho —
The black lab seemed healthy and happy as he bounded into the room at Companions Animal Center.
He was big, maybe 75 pounds, and older, perhaps 9 or 10, with a graying muzzle. He went to a window and stared out. Seeing nothing of interest, he turned back to the people seated at a table, excited to be there.
That same dog had been dropped off earlier in the week by its longtime owner with a request: Euthanize him.
The owner said he was moving and couldn’t take the dog, which he said had health issues, too.
After checking the dog’s physical and behavioral condition, and finding overall he was fine, the request was denied. CAC will try to find him a new owner.
“He’s a great dog,” said Vicky Nelson, CAC development director. “He deserves to be in a good home.”
The request to euthanize the pet was one of 189 made of CAC so far this year. Of those, the no-kill shelter determined that 13 of them, 7%, should not be put down and took them in.
Last year, through the same timeframe, CAC had 168 euthanasia requests.
More people are asking CAC to end the lives of pets not necessarily for physical or behavioral reasons, but rather, for financial purposes and convenience. Depending on the case, they are turning them down.
“The save rate is much higher this year,” Nelson said.
Debbie Jeffries, CAC executive director, says rising rents and damage deposits, as well as stricter regulations on larger dogs are forcing pet owners to make tough decisions.
To read the full story, visit our news partner, the Coeur d'Alene Press.
