Mass. man says he couldn't afford vet, killed dog (with a hammer)

AP ^

[Chet 99]

METHUEN, Mass. (AP) — A Massachusetts man facing animal cruelty charges for allegedly killing his bulldog with a hammer told police the dog was sick and he could not afford to pay a veterinarian to put it down.

[omega4179]

Obama’s economy.

[LottieDah]

WTF? Killed the dog with a hammer? What a sick bastard!

[americanophile]

Yuk.

[netmilsmom]

This is just wrong.
Walk your dog into any Humane Society and tell them that you can’t afford to keep it.

Walk out. They humanely euthanize any dog too sick to adopt back out.

This poor pup.

[17th Miss Regt]

This is how Obamacare will deal with terminally ill Americans. To reduce costs, you know.

[messierhunter]

I’ve heard of the redneck way to put your dog down with a bullet, but a hammer? There’s no mercy in that.

[fso301]

Lot’s of pet owners put down their pets. Seems like there’s more to the story. Was the guy drunk and botched the job?

[flash2368]

It was a comparitavely non-cruel way to kill the dog. In case you don’t know it, the beef you eat was probably killed with the equivalent of a sledge hammer between the eyes. Its pretty much standard procedure in the packing houses.

The dog most likely never knew what hit it.

I would have great sympathy with the guy to have had the guts to put the sick animal out of its misery.

[Centurion2000]

WTF? Killed the dog with a hammer? What a sick bastard!

It's called a clean kill. And the man took responsibility for his own animal.

Obviously you've never had to put an animal down.

[cydcharisse]

He could have found a better way to put the dog down.
Either stupid or lazy.

[Centurion2000]

I’ve heard of the redneck way to put your dog down with a bullet, but a hammer? There’s no mercy in that.

Yes there is mercy in that. And he's in Mass. He probably didn't have a gun due to stupid gun laws up there.

All you animal lovers that are screaming he is cruel; just how the hell do you think dogs were put down before reliable firearms? A hammer to the skull is HUMANE.

There is NOTHING wrong with taking personal responsibility for your pets and putting them down if you must.

[SampleMan]

I’ve heard of the redneck way to put your dog down with a bullet, but a hammer? There’s no mercy in that.

Had he just duct taped a knife to the poor thing's paw and called the police, they would have shot it for him.

[green pastures]

“Berube told investigators that on July 13, about 4 p.m., he killed Spot by striking him in the head with the claw end of a hammer, and may have hit the dog two or three times.”

http://www.eagletribune.com/punews/local_story_170005522.html

[Kudsman]

Obviously you've never had to put an animal down.

There are many that cringe at the thought and they should be welcome to pay their vet to do it. However some of us have and will in the future when time renders it necessary. What's wrong is that the squeamish are going to force their view to the point that I will be a criminal for a clean, close up shot, even though I will be bawling my eyes out as I dig a hole next to where kitty, gizmo, christie or chia are already buried.

[Hot Tabasco]

Obviously you've never had to put an animal down.

...or spent time on a REAL farm where the realities of that type of life are very harsh. Where the kids will help their dad with the chore of putting down a choice head of cattle they helped raise since it was a day old calf, then hauled into the barn to be gutted then processed for the freezer. Or the choice hog they raised since it was a piglet and destined for the pig roast the following weekend........

[PanzerKardinal]

You’ve must have never seen a captive bolt gun in use.

[Kudsman]

he killed Spot by striking him in the head with the claw end of a hammer, and may have hit the dog two or three times.”

Now that on the other hand is gruesome.

[Centurion2000]

What's wrong is that the squeamish are going to force their view to the point that I will be a criminal for a clean, close up shot, even though I will be bawling my eyes out as I dig a hole next to where kitty, gizmo, christie or chia are already buried.

Amen to that.

[goat granny]

Before we got all modernized there was an old saying that “Every man gotta kill his own dog and iron his own apron.” It was usually done with a buttet to the head or heart...That was back in the old farm days...But a man did not sluff off the hard stuff to someone else..

[Centurion2000]

...or spent time on a REAL farm where the realities of that type of life are very harsh. Where the kids will help their dad with the chore of putting down a choice head of cattle they helped raise since it was a day old calf, then hauled into the barn to be gutted then processed for the freezer. Or the choice hog they raised since it was a piglet and destined for the pig roast the following weekend........

Or having to kill the some of a batch of chicken eggs that just hatched because the chicks are malformed and going to die anyway. Mercy killings and livestock killing .... not fun ... but must be done.

[henry_reardon]

all he had to do was call the ATF, they’d have come over and shot it for him

[Mariko]

And that’s the difference. All the people citing pneumatic hammers are off-base. A pneumatic hammer has far more force than the strongest man, weilding a sledgehammer could muster.

The claw end? I live near Methuen, MA and there are at least six shelters within 20 miles, where he could have surrendered the dog, to be humanely euthanized at no cost.

[MrPiper]

What's wrong is that the squeamish are going to force their view to the point that I will be a criminal for a clean, close up shot, even though I will be bawling my eyes out as I dig a hole next to where kitty, gizmo, christie or chia are already buried

Its called being a man and undertaking unpleasant tasks. We are a dieing breed, I've put down two over the years and cried also, but real men don't expect someone else to shoulder their responsibilities. Obama voters would not understand that concept.

To those that think the vet is painless, the one dog I have "put to sleep" screamed bloody murder when the vet stuck him. The two I put down never felt a thing. Now who is cruel?

[RKV]

Maybe I’m old school and country, but being a hunter and having butchered cows, pigs, etc., I’m missing out on why a vet had to do this. Used to be people did this for themselves. I can certainly think of a quicker and more direct way to do this (in fact several), but as sad as this is, it’s not criminal. If people knew how the beef on their plate gets there they would know that a cow gets killed in much the same way at an abattoir. Minus our war on some drugs, the guy could have done it by himself for the price of a syringe and some barbiturates - $10 max. As you’ve noted, some people just can’t handle reality.

[Mariko]

My dad grew up in rural Maine. Our childhood pets (and there were many) went, after a favorite meal, and much loving, and petting, with a bullet to the back of the head.

Striking “maybe two or three times” with the claw end (!?!) of a household hammer is not the same thing at all.

[goat granny]

You are correct it is not the same thing, but city dwellers are greatly restrained in so far as being able to humanly put down an animal....I couldn’t hit a dog with a hammer, unless it was attaching, but I don’t live in the city...Either way, if the man loved his dog, he took no joy in killing it..if he loved his dog it is truly sad.

[GladesGuru]

If the dog was unable to see the hammer because the owner covered its head, a massive blow to the cranium with a hammer would result in instant loss of consciousness.

Even at a vet’s, killing of an animal is not a totally painless, fear free process all of the time.

[GladesGuru]

The claw end would insure penetration of the cranial vault, with subsequent immediate cessation of consciousness.

[Ditter]

A friend of mine, a stupid stupid woman, when her dog became old and feeble took it out into the woods and left it. When she learned how shocked I was at her actions she said that it probably found a house out there and someone took it in.

This woman is a college graduate,the wife of a doctor.

My brother is a vet and he always gives an animal a shot to put it to sleep before he gives it the shot to put it down. Very humane, no pain.

[Leo58]

I didn’t realize the movie, “Old Yeller” was actually about animal cruelty.

[Morgana]

A hammer? That is just wrong...use a shotgun.

[No Surrender No Retreat]

Too, bad the dog did not rip out his throat. I hope they put that sicko in a cell full of horny bubbas for some cell justice.

Molon Labe,
NSNR

[No Surrender No Retreat]

Do you also have remorse for abortion doctors as well. Maybe Obama care will give you a just ending like the poor dog received.

You are one heartless person Flash. That hammer death was cruel and unusual punishment for a dying animal.

Molon Labe,
NSNR

[Popman]

........the animal had been sick for weeks and had lost a lot of weight. It had swollen legs and had trouble walking............Berube says he did not want the animal to suffer and could not afford a veterinarian. He said he did not want to burden a shelter with the animal. It was killed last July.

I can't believe some of the comments on this thread.

The man was taking responsibility for his animal. The poor beast was suffering and he did what he had to do. A clean hammer stroke on his skull would have been quick and merciful

[cynwoody]

You’ve must have never seen a captive bolt gun in use.

Reportedly handy for blowing out brains and dead bolt locks.

From the Wikipedia:

In the penetrating type, the stunner uses a pointed bolt which is propelled by pressurized air or a blank cartridge. The bolt penetrates the skull of the animal, enters the cranium, and catastrophically damages the cerebrum and part of the cerebellum. Due to concussion, destruction of vital centres of brain and an increase in intracranial pressure, the animal loses consciousness. This method is currently the most effective and widely used type of stunning, since it physically destroys brain matter (increasing the probability of a successful stun), while also leaving the brain stem intact (thus ensuring the heart continues to beat, facilitating a successful bleed). One disadvantage of this method is that brain matter is allowed into the blood stream, possibly contaminating other tissue with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, commonly known as mad cow disease) .

The action of a non-penetrating stunner is similar, but the bolt is blunt with a mushroom-shaped tip. The bolt strikes the forehead with great force and immediately retracts. This concussion is responsible for the unconsciousness of the animal. This type of stunner is less reliable at causing immediate and permanent unconsciousness than penetrating types; however, it has undergone a resurgence of popularity due to concerns about mad cow disease. In the European Union, this captive bolt design is required for slaughter of animals that will be used for pharmaceutical manufacture.

The free bolt stunner is used for the emergency in-the-field euthanasia of large farm-animals who cannot be restrained. It differs from a true captive bolt gun in that the projectile is not retractable; it is similar in operation to a powder-actuated nail gun or conventional firearm. Capable of firing only when pressed firmly against a surface (typically the animal's forehead), the device fires a small projectile through the animal's skull. The veterinarian can then either leave the animal to expire from the projectile wound, or administer lethal drugs.

Bet you didn't need to know that.

[ronnietherocket2]

some people do have remorse for abortion doctors and pray that they will give up their evil ways and repent and accept life. try reading this about an abortion doctor who was converted. http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=14322. And persecuting and ridiculing abortion doctors would give confirmation to liberals that the person who murdered Tiller was an extreme example of the pro-life movement, not an entity separate and distinct from the mainstream pro-lifers

Also your tagline says no surrender no retreat, this implies some semblance of responsibility. This man knew his dog was in pain but he could not afford a vet, so he decided to take responsiblity himself for the dog. if you cannot understand someone taking personal responsibility well...

[hunter112]

You beat me to it. In “No Country for Old Men”, the villain uses a compressed-air device that was designed for the humane slaughter of livestock to kill his victims.

[Chickensoup]

I’ve heard of the redneck way to put your dog down with a bullet, but a hammer? There’s no mercy in that.

A bullet and a walk behind the barn has been a timehonored way to euthanize animals. Not redneck, I know judges and businessmen who did it. We did it. Animal care and vets were if not unusual, not common, and people put down their own creatures.

[Chickensoup]

Why dont they just use a bullet?

[cynwoody]

Why dont they just use a bullet?

As the Wikipedia mentions, it may be desirable to kill the animal without causing possibly prion-infected brain matter to be mixed into its bloodstream and carried to the meat before the animal's heart stops beating.

But the primary reason is unnecessary danger to slaughterhouse workers. I.e., where does the bullet go after it exits the cow's head?

Not that the cattle guns are completely safe, however. I remember when the drive-thru wave swept through the fast food industry. They were adding 'em on while the stores continued to operate. In one case a girl working the front counter got killed by a nail from a nail gun being used to construct the drive-thru pickup window.

[Chickensoup]

One of the descriptions talked about using drugs to continue the putting down of a cattle. I assume this is not something to eat?

[messierhunter]

A bullet and a walk behind the barn has been a timehonored way to euthanize animals.

I have no problem with what I referred to as the "redneck" way; personally I consider myself 50% redneck and I'm proud of it. It's quick and painless, I have no issue with it.

[messierhunter]

All you animal lovers that are screaming he is cruel; just how the hell do you think dogs were put down before reliable firearms?

In the absence of firearms and drugs, I find that a swift decapitation or mechanical skull separation works best. People did have swords and bladed weapons long before they had firearms.

[messierhunter]

Even at a vet’s, killing of an animal is not a totally painless, fear free process all of the time.

As someone who euthanatizes animals on a fairly regular basis, there's no comparison between the first attempt success rate of a drug-based euthanasia and a hand-delivered blow to the head. Assuming this owner had never killed a dog with a hammer before, I'm confident he would not be as careful as you describe, let alone sure enough with his first blow to render the animal completely unconscious. He's free to plead his case before a judge though.