E.M. Of course I wasn't referring to you, I perfectly understand your message.

This thread makes me really sad, because I thought this was the one place we could come for support over a loss, no matter the cir%%stances.

There are others on this board who have had to put an animal down because of severe aggressive behavior that just couldn't be changed no matter how much the loving owner tried to help. I don't know why v-angel is being beat up over her decision, when nobody else has been. Maybe it seems different because Penny is in the shelter for 10 days before she is pts, but its not.

I for one, wouldn't have what it takes to even try to take in these troubled animals and attempt to "reform" them and wouldn't even try. v-angel does this on a regular basis and should all her other successes be swept under the rug because of this one failure? I personally have a bit of a fear of dogs, so its my natural instinct to think that if a dog attacks someone, it should be put down, for the saftey of those around it. I know that everyone doesn't agree with this, and thats fine. We are ALL ent*itled to our own opinion.

However, attacking someone who is grieving... (and just because v-angel is the one who made this decision, doesn't mean she is NOT grieving just as much as if Penny had been taken by illness).. is in poor taste, in my opinion.

If I had had thousands of dollars for extensive experimental treatments, blood transfusions and weeks of in-vet 24 hour care, I may have given my Alley about a 4% chance to live. Does this make me a bad person because I didn't go into severe debt to try? My girl was suffering and I had the means to stop it, so I did.

I am also sure, that there is nothing you can say to v-angel that she hasn't already thought to herself. What she doesn't need, is our help, to feel guilty or bad. She needs our support, which is the one reason we are all here.

I have to wonder, had this been a pitbull, or other breed "known" for aggressive behavior and attacks, and had this been a small child, rather than v-angel who was bitten, would everyone still be so quick to judge?

Just my 2 cents...

AlleysMama I couldn't have said it better myself!

Alley's Momma, I completely agree, poor V has been through so much as well as Penney, and I think since many of us have been with her through all the ups and downs of her last loss, this is just another horror to deal with, and then to kick her in the teeth at the same time, uncalled for and cruel....I have been feeling so terrible about this and hope we can get back on a more positive form of support to V, Penney's last day is coming nearer so lets keep Penney and V and her family in our thoughts and prayers right now...and light a candle for them Tory, Hrudey's Momma
PS Michelle don't apologize for your feelings, you had my support honey, and don't go away okay?

You're right, Alley's Mama! We all do our best with our beloved animals, and no one here who is grieving (as V-Angel obviously is) deserves this kind of censure. We're all here to get help and sympathy and understanding.

Gee, I was thinking about posting tomorrow about my own loss. There were things I did wrong, that I feel just horrible about now many years later. Up until some of the posts on this thread, I thought maybe I'd get some of the wonderful encouragement others have offered here, and I have tried to offer as well. Now I'm not so sure.

Believe me, anyone who wishes to judge -- the fur mommies and daddies judge themselves far more harshly sometimes than anything you could say to them. Why do you want to pile on? That is shameful.

Maybe I'll just go on trying to comfort and encourage others for a while, before I post my own.

And V-Angel, I feel like I'm in the countdown with you. My heart goes out to you and your family. You did your best, like we all do. The note you got from those people thanking you for your heartfelt efforts shows that clearly. I'm glad they sent you that note, and think surely you will treasure it, just as you will treasure the good memories of Penny.

And the soon-to-be good memories-in-the-making of Buddy!!

-- Michelle K. (Lucy & Josie's mom)

"I'm sorry this has upset you, too. It would never be my intention to drive away people who care as deeply as you seem to from getting the help they need."
Are you kidding? I am completely on your side with everything you have said, so you would never drive me away. These people could really learn a lot from you and your experience if they would just open their minds. All I can say is just keep trying. This world so relies on you, the animals rely on you, because there just aren't enough of you.

I am baffled at so many people on this forum being so heartless to Penny. If the ignorance of not understanding how things really work, what options V actually had, have them convinced that she is an Angel of some sort, I can't change that. What I did hope to change was the fact that Penny is the true victim here and she should be shown some consideration. It is day 9 for her now, too late to change things for her anyway, so it is a losing battle at this point. Not to mention everyone seems to be having trouble getting the big picture here because they keep bringing their own situations of needing to choose to put their animal to sleep when I made it very clear that it isn't Penny being put to sleep that bothers me, it is how it is being done, how she is spending her last days, that is so painful for me, and no, it wouldn't matter to me if it was a pit bull,( it just so happens that is exactly what my aggressive rescue guy happens to be)or who the victim. She signed up for this so she should have seen it through to the very end whatever that may be.
Does no one else think it is strange that everyone is responding to V as though she is just devastated when she herself has made it clear that this is just one of those things. Life goes on. We have a new dog now, whooppee! You guys are feeling worse about it than she is!

"What is an Internet Troll/ Forum troll?

* An "Internet troll" or "Forum Troll" is a person who posts outrageous message to bait people to answer. Forum Troll delights in sowing discord on the forums. A troll is someone who inspires flaming rhetoric, someone who is purposely provoking and pulling people into flaming discussion. Flaming discussions usually end with name calling and a flame war."
You will all be happy to know that this has sealed the deal for me to get out of here. When I fight for the well being of an animal and I am called a forum troll by another member of a so called "animal loving group", I know that I'm in the wrong place anyways, not that anything that 'Toonie' says should really matter. I have read her other stuff. She should be called 'Loonie'! What a nut case. This world is just hopeless. If animal lovers can't care any more about the life of an animal than this, what is the use of fighting for them. It's a lost cause I guess.

Peace to all the lost ones, and those who will soon be on their way.

To All,

MY last 2 cents on this topic.

We're not talking about a spoiled (or neglected) dog with a behavioral problem; we're talking about a soul in extreme pain. V-Angel has been to extraordinary lenghts, by my standards...and I recently spent $13,000, and a month in a motel and many subsequent hours learning to give physical therapy, to help our disabled sheltie...trying to help Penny. Lets not lose sight of of the fact that it was the people who had Penny before who inflicted thouse awful wounds to her body and her spirit. It is hard to escape the conclusion that those wounds have turned out to be fatal.

This a terrible tragedy, but not one of V's making.

Maybe some of you missed the part where she was driving her across the state on a weekly basis to see a therapist! I have read V's posts, and I'm not getting the "life goes on" message. Have you never heard of " singing in the dark"?

And I am mystified by the att*itude that V has done wrong in trying to help another lost one. Do I think V is an angel, no...I think she is a very human woman, who has done her human best to try and undo harm that was caused by others...she failed.

I can definitely feel the frustration of Dakota's dad of people not getting what he is trying to say . V was given praise for adopting Penny, especially as a known hard case, and she has been given praise for adopting Buddy and others in general. She has been given credit for trying to help them.....the one and only confllict here is that when the decision was made that Penny needed to be destroyed (which has never been disputed), she chose to just dump her at the shelter instead of doing what she had to do, whether that be dishonest or inconvenient, to make Penny's passing a stress free and peaceful one. If I had to drive her to another state I would have in order for her to go without all this torture beforehand . Why is that so hard for people to understand?? It has nothing to do with the money, her efforts to help Penny along the way, or anything else...we are only talking about the last 9 days here!!! No one seems to be able to see the forest for the trees!

I'm really not sure if that makes a difference to others or not, but I know that it has a lot to do with my point of view. I have been a vet tech for many years, and I also put in just as many years as a shelter volunteer, so I know how things work on both ends.....all I'm saying is that it didn't have to be this way......

ok, when i start seeing angry face emoticons and talk about internet trolls and people being upset, it is time for a thread to come to a quiet ending. please take this discussion, if you find the need, to private messages. thanks.

this thread has been closed.