Preventing Unnecessary Euthanasia

PREVENTING UNNECESSARY EUTHANASIA AND RELINQUISHMENT OF DOGS FOR REHOMING

Veterinary practice aims to alleviate suffering and optimise welfare, however vets might at times find themselves in the professionally compromised position of being called upon to euthanise physically healthy dogs for behavioural reasons.

It’s heart-wrenching to accept that most dogs euthanised under the age of three are done so as a result of behaviour problems likely to have been entirely preventable.

Problematic behaviour also results in dogs being given up. Consistently one quarter of all the dogs taken in by Dogs Trust each year are given up on behavioural grounds. We work tirelessly to rehabilitate and rehome dogs whose anxieties, fears and phobias might have been prevented.

But there’s good news – our national network of Dog Schools provide evidence-based training classes for puppies, adolescents, rescues and adults aimed specifically at preventing problem behaviour, keeping dogs in lifelong homes and preventing unnecessary euthanasia.