should a dog owner be allowed to kill his puppies?

[file cabinet]

Puppy shoots Florida man, deputies say
Dog put paw on gun's trigger as owner tried to kill him
The Associated Press
Updated: 3:52 p.m. ET Sept. 9, 2004

PENSACOLA, Fla. - A man who tried to shoot seven puppies was shot himself when one of the dogs put its paw on the revolver’s trigger.

Jerry Allen Bradford, 37, was charged with felony animal cruelty, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday. He was being treated at a hospital for a gunshot wound to his wrist.

Bradford said he decided to shoot the 3-month-old shepherd-mix dogs in the head because he couldn’t find them a home, according to the sheriff’s office.

On Monday, Bradford was holding two puppies — one in his arms and another in his left hand — when the dog in his hand wiggled and put its paw on the trigger of the .38-caliber revolver. The gun then discharged, the sheriff’s report said.

Deputies found three of the puppies in a shallow grave outside Bradford’s home, said sheriff’s Sgt. Ted Roy.

The other four appeared to be in good health and were taken by Escambia County Animal Control, which planned to make them available for adoption.
© 2004 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5950304/

I don't think what he did was wrong.. it's not like he broke one of the puppy's legs and then sliced a narrow slit in the stomach of it and fucked it really hard.. and then cooked it and fed it to his children for dinner and made a necklace out of the bones.

they should drop those charges

[Jezebel]

I agree that he was irresponsible and I in no way support shooting unwanted pets when they become inconvenient. This is a situation he could have very easily avoided by being a responsible pet owner and having his dog spayed. But I probably go further than most here, as I also support mandatory spay and neuter laws.

[CosmicDust]

If you can't find the dogs at home, and you turn them in to an animal shelter, the pound staff will take care of killing the dogs for you if the dogs can't find a home from the pound either. No need to do it yourself in such a messy way.

[cloakable]

Hmm... while I don't happen to be a 'dog' person, I do like them, and think that shooting them because you cannot find them a home is irresponsible and cruel. Donate them to a puppy home instead.

[int]

Damnit. That's why there's shelters. :rant: :rant:

A simple spay could have solved this. If I saw that guy I'd throw a brick at his feet. Besides, most shelters around here will hold out for adoptions.

Serves the idiot right.

[cloakable]

If I saw that guy I'd throw a brick at his feet.

I woulden't throw it at his feet. :ph34r:

[Hypnos]

Yes -- puppy meat could make a very tasty stew.

[ohnoaninfp]

I am glad that the puppy shot him! Serves the dude right for trying to kill them. Too bad the puppy didn't shoot him in the head.

[jimkopelli]

That would have been too funny.

[ohnoaninfp]

yep. I love animals, but I am not a crazy PETA person. I hate it when people are so thoughtless and cruel to them. Seriously don't get a pet if you are not going to take care of it. He could have given the puppies to a local humane society. Man, What a bozo.

[Crazy]

All that need be said is "Good Dog!"
:thumbup:

[Utopmk]

Yeah, thats what I say. "Good Dog!" It isn't that hard to take them to a humane society, and its free. I hope the mother fucker incinerates.
:laser:

[Vagabond]

Hm. We are supposed to oppose deserting pets on the streets because it is poor life quality for them and most likely damnation to death for the little ones, right? Or is it just to avoid dog poop under our shoes? It is more fair to leave the dog out there to deal with the harshness of life and give him *some* chances to survive, than decide he is going to die anyway and kill him. All that provided that there is no other choice, like giving him away.

[Jezebel]

Hm. We are supposed to oppose deserting pets on the streets because it is poor life quality for them and most likely damnation to death for the little ones, right? Or is it just to avoid dog poop under our shoes? It is more fair to leave the dog out there to deal with the harshness of life and give him *some* chances to survive, than decide he is going to die anyway and kill him. All that provided that there is no other choice, like giving him away.

Abandoning pets on the streets is not an effective solution. Yes, for a pet life can be harsh. Disease, startvation, and chance for injury without veterinary care can all lead to a much slower, more painful death than if the animal was just put down in the first place.

Beyond that, it is also throwing the responsibility of the animal onto people who never asked for it. The animal will have to survive on other people's property and have to be dealt with eventually, whether they asked for it or not. The owner of the property the animal ends up on will have to decide what to do with it, whether it's caring for the animal, chasing it off to be someone else's burden, calling animal control or taking it to the humane society (like the owner should have done in the first place if it was unwanted), or disposing of it in an unhumane way themselves. "Doing nothing at all" if strangers don't want to deal with it isn't always a viable option, as stray animals can carry diseases and be destructive.

If an owner is concerned about being humane, he should not have an unaltered animal when he isn't willing to follow through with finding the offspring homes.

[Vagabond]

What I mean is not that abandonning pets is a good solution of course, but that it is a better solution than shooting them in the head. If there was no option in society other than (a) killing unwanted pets and (b) setting them free on the streets, I think option (a) wouldn't even be an option for me. I can't decide if it is best for you to live harshly or die easily, it is not my choice to make. Of course it is always best to prevent the problem than have to deal with it, no arguement there.

[Jezebel]

What I mean is not that abandonning pets is a good solution of course, but that it is a better solution than shooting them in the head. If there was no option in society other than (a) killing unwanted pets and (b) setting them free on the streets, I think option (a) wouldn't even be an option for me. I can't decide if it is best for you to live harshly or die easily, it is not my choice to make. Of course it is always best to prevent the problem than have to deal with it, no arguement there.

Even if you aren't killing them directly, you're just putting it onto somebody else to do it for you. Society DOES kill unwanted pets. Somebody has to kill them, there are just too many animals being born and not enough homes. As things are, there are many other options than shooting them in the head yourself. If it was either your (a) or (b), then I would support (a), as there is less chance of suffering for the animal in the long run.

[Vagabond]

Hmm. What about people in the third world countries that will suffer and die of famine and diseases then? Should we put them out of their misery too? Hell the planet is overpopulated anyway.

[file cabinet]

I don't think you can compare the life of a human to the life of an animal.

... yeah..

[Utopmk]

I don't think you can compare the life of a human to the life of an animal.

... yeah..

I can. *points gun at human*

[file cabinet]

* arf *

[CosmicDust]

A human is an animal, and a life is a life...but sometimes humans themselves experience misery and put themselves out of it. Then again, we can't read an animal's mind to know if that's what he or she wants or not.

Pounds will euthanize animals if they don't get homes, I've heard. That would probably be an easier way for the homeless critters to go than shooting them in the head. If they were my pups I'd take them to a pound or humane society, so they had a chance of either living well or dying peacefully.

[Jezebel]

Hmm. What about people in the third world countries that will suffer and die of famine and diseases then? Should we put them out of their misery too? Hell the planet is overpopulated anyway.

The difference is that these are domesticated animals we are talking about. They are dependent on people for their survival and we are responsible for their overpopulation. There is a huge difference between this and deciding for other people that they shouldn't live because of their conditions, and even different from making this decision for wild animals. When you take in pets, their well being and what ends up happening to them does become your choice and responsibility. The issue isn't only about keeping them off of the streets for their own safety and killing them to put them out of their misery. An overpoplation of strays in an area also poses threats for other pets, wildlife, and people. Not everyone who is affected by this is an irresponsible pet owner and doesn't deserve to be punished for their stupidity.

This doesn't mean that I like that unwanted pets are killed. I'm for prevention, but as long as people continue allowing unwanted pets to be born, it will be a reality.

[Phreon]

Perhaps all puppies should be fitted with holsters?

Good dog. Good doggie!

Phreon

[Jkrs]

The guy was irresponsible twice over (the second one was holding the gun where the puppy could reach it), and he deserved what he got. Sending the puppies to a shelter would have been the best solution, after having their mother spayed before it became a problem. That said, the charges don't seem to fit with his actions - a bullet through the brain being one of the least painful ways for a creature to die.


..If I remember correctly, felons don't get to vote in Florida. I can see the article if he's convicted: 'Eeeevil puppy killer disenfranchised'.

[ohnoaninfp]

I don't think you can compare the life of a human to the life of an animal.

... yeah..

I can. *points gun at human*


:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: My cat is better than most humans I know. The only shit she puts me through is the stuff I have to clean out of the litter box.

[greenintp]

Hmm. What about people in the third world countries that will suffer and die of famine and diseases then? Should we put them out of their misery too? Hell the planet is overpopulated anyway.

No, we should put them up for adoption so they can go to a good "forever home". ;)

[candela]

Well, I don't see how it was cruelty to animals. I don't think it should be allowed, but I would think cruelty would be more along the lines of putting them through pain.

If you have a really large snake, are you allowed to buy puppies to feed it? I'm pretty sure you can buy mice for that. Puppies would get expensive, but I'm just wondering.

[Jkrs]

IIRC, you can get feeder rabbits for that. They're cheaper, and there's always more of them. Not sure if it's cruelty either way though.

[Zero Angel]

should a dog owner be allowed to kill his puppies?

Only if it gives him pleasure, otherwise whats the point of doing it?

Sorry, my sense of humor is a little strange when I am overtired.