Posted on 02/21/2012 1:38:32 PM PST by iowamark
Lisa Gossett's one-year-old Chihuahua Lola was viciously attacked by another dog four months ago.
The veterinarian told her the outlook was grim and gave Gossett two choices.
"Pay out all this money and there's a 20% chance that she'll live or euthanize her, so it was hard," said Gossett.
Gossett says she didn't want Lola to suffer so she signed on the dotted line and said a painful goodbye.
It hit her 5-year-old daughter Bianca hard, she said.
"When she prays she says I want to see Lola again - I want to see Lola again," said Gossett.
The family had moved on until this week, when Gossett got a phone call.
It was the company that programs the ID microchips that go into pets.
The caller said a woman was requesting to switch Lola's chip over to a new owner.
"And I said 'oh no, you're mistaken Lola is not alive we had her put down she was in an accident’ and they said ‘no ma'am in fact she is alive and there's a request for ownership for her,’" said Gossett.
Gossett immediately called the vet demanding answers.
It boils down to a document the owner signed when she gave the vet the go-ahead to euthanize the dog.
What she didn't know, and what wasn't explained to her, was she was surrendering all ownership rights to the veterinarian.
The vet chose to turn Lola over to the foundation "Second Chance" which rehabilitates dogs.
They assigned Lola to a foster home for her recovery.
After finding out about the miscommunication, Second Chance put Gossett in touch with Lola's new owner, Leslie Mason.
"When I was asked to take it I didn't believe it had an owner and it was just in bad shape and needed to be nursed back to health," said Mason.
Mason says she recently lost a dog to disease.
She says the only thing that got her through it was nursing Lola back to health - who she named Tinker.
"I want to say take her but then I want to say no, I want her - it's just, it's hard," said Mason.
In an act of complete kindness, Gossett and her daughter decided to let Lola stay at her new home.
"I'm grateful that she's in a place that she's so happy, I'm grateful just to be able to see her again," said Gossett.
Even though there was a happy ending, Gossett still has questions for the vet.
She says it was never explained to her that the vet could choose to keep the dog alive.
She wants an apology and a refund for the money she put down to have Lola cremated.
By the time we found out the full details in this story the vets office was closed, so we couldn't get their response.
Yes, it was comforting. The vet was a specialist; he only treated cats. He and all his colleagues loved cats. They really liked our guy and tried to save him, but his kidneys had been destroyed by a misdiagnosis and treatment by the cat’s former vet, whom I would have killed if they allowed guns in California. [cough]
FYI our next door neighbor got 18 mos in jail for shooting (euthanizing) his dog in his backyard. Now he can never legally own a handgun again and he has a felony criminal record.
Most vets are very compassionate when it comes to end of life situtations. They have drugs you can’t get that will allow your pet to pass in a very calm and humane way. Just make sure you stay there and be a part of it. We lost our cat a couple of years ago and she died very peacefully at age 19 and half with her head propped on my arm.
But that doesn't mean it's “irresponsible” or otherwise unseemly for someone else to put down the animal, especially in your presence. That implied insult is unnecessary.
Of course, that wasn't the point of “unwilling”. Complete non-sequitur. The “unwilling” in this story had to do with caring for the animal, giving it all the surgery it (supposedly) needed; not disposing of it.
The article said she was told the dog was very unlikely to survive and was in a lot of pain. It seems that if she were told the dog could have a "second chance," she would have tried to save it.
I had a big old Maine Coon that suffered from chronic respiratory infections. After a year of going on and off antibiotics, he really deteriorated. The vet gave him little chance of survival.
My wife and I held him when the vet injected the sedative directly into his stomach. We held him while his eyes dilated and his body passed through the convulsions. We kept holding him after the vet checked his heartbeat and said he passed.
You are cordially invited to bite me.
That's how I did it with my cats as well. They just peacefully went to sleep in my arms, with me talking to them and kissing them.
I can't imagine any other way.
I agree with the sentence for your neighbor! It just isn't humane, IMO
I don't think he thinks of himself as Holier-Than-Thou, I think he thinks he's Tougher-Than-Thou. And believe me, his kind is a dime a dozen. I've seen plenty of them in my lifetime and have never been impressed.
Most people do not request the dog’s ashes and the ashes are disposed of.
I’ve had two beloved pets euthanized and it would never occur to me to want the ashes.
I stayed with our old Lab when he was put to sleep. But my husband, who loved the old guy more than I did, couldn’t do it.
It took him a year to get over losing that dog. In fact, I don’t think he’s over it yet.
It’s not being heartless not to stay. You can only do what you can do. I found it comforting to stay as it was so quick and painless.
As for ashes, I’m not sentimental about ashes.
BTTT, in agreement, with all you said...
Your Grandpa knew that, his dog needed him, so remember it. Too many people don't. Their dog suddenly becomes somebody else responsibility.
Last time I was actually sick and went to a doctor was Easter of 1976, the SOB almost killed me.
If I had kids they better toughen up.
Don’t be too judgmental, OK? Please? Not everyone handles end of life, be it human or animal...the same.
While I agreed with what you said earlier...I SHOULD have prefaced it with I, me, Grammie...am 99% sure I couldn’t do it myself...
If your dog didn’t mean enough to you that you let a stranger do that to him, then you can bite me.
He was a cat and you are a sub human, mouth breathing moron.
Run along an molest a few more sheep, weirdo.
Ach. Stop.
You couldn’t but I can. I think my animals earn it.
They don’t earn a stranger.
You don't let strangers service your sheep?
“He was a cat and you are a sub human,”
You’re right. keep you pet inside or I will eat them.
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