Ethical question of the month — April 2015

[摘要] A long-standing client of your mixed animal practice passed away recently and his widow is moving to a nursing home where pets are not allowed. She requested that you find a suitable home for their 6-year-old Labrador retriever. You recently had to euthanize the 16-year-old shepherd-cross that belonged to a family that lives on a hobby farm. You call and enquire as to whether they would be interested in adopting the Labrador and they gladly accept. When they come to pick up the dog they are most grateful and explain that they had been unable to adopt a dog because no shelter or rescue association would provide a dog to a family that did not keep the dog in the house. They had resigned themselves to purchasing a dog from a breeder. This family’s dog has free access to a heated garage with a heated dog bed. You have taken care of this family’s pets and livestock for over a decade and find them exceptionally caring and attentive owners. You cannot believe that a shelter would deny a dog to such an excellent home. You contact a few shelters to enquire regarding their adoption policies and find that they only offer dogs to people who keep their pets in the house. There was a long list of additional restrictions some of which you also found unreasonable. Is it in the best interest of companion animals to have such stringent requirements regarding adoptions?

[学科分类] 兽医学