Your email address is safe with us. View our Privacy policy.
Author Bio:
Dog trainer Matthew Margolis, known affectionately as "Uncle Matty," writes his column "Dogs, Cats, and Other People" as a guide for pet owners ...
Read more about Matthew “Uncle Matty” Margolis.
Dog trainer Matthew Margolis, known affectionately as "Uncle Matty," writes his column "Dogs, Cats, and Other People" as a guide for pet owners ...
Read more about Matthew “Uncle Matty” Margolis.
Dog Talk with Uncle Matty: Some Promises Are Better Broken
Matthew “Uncle Matty” Margolis
The notion that a promise is a promise is born of the very worthy
goals of building character and integrity in young people, infusing
trust into personal and professional relationships, and generally
encouraging people to hold up their end of a bargain. But as countless
wedding vows and campaign rhetoric prove, a promise isn't always so
simple and is sometimes better broken.
Most legal contracts have a clause built in to cover circumstances of force majeure -- "superior or overwhelming power." Legal meaning: an unanticipated and uncontrollable event that releases a person from a contractual obligation.
And while some will scream "but a promise is a promise" regardless, the vicissitudes of life make clear that at times the humane and compassionate thing to do is to release a person from their promise.
Or a dog, as the case may be.
Recently, a reader asked me to weigh in on a disagreement between she and her husband. Here's the issue:
"My husband and I have a 10-year-old Labrador-Rottweiler mix. We love her to bits, but will most likely need to put her to sleep due to an extremely fast-spreading mammary cancer.
"She's a bit shaky in the hind legs, it's impossible for her to walk up stairs anymore or jump into the car, and sometimes she yelps in pain if we rub her on her back.
"Because of her inherently gentle nature, she has been a volunteer dog, making regular visits to a senior care facility.
"In light of her pain, which still shows even with the painkillers we are giving her, I want to stop doing the visits and call it her official retirement. I understand that no matter how gentle a girl she is, if she is hurt, even inadvertently, she could potentially snap at the offending hand.
"My husband, on the other hand, believes otherwise. He feels that as long as she is able to stand, and since we are right there with her, we should make her go, as "we made a commitment to volunteer and said we would do a full year's term." We have three more months to go.
"Is my husband insane? Am I being selfish and overprotective of our dog? Is either of us right? Or is there no right or wrong here?"
Let's be clear: There is most definitely a right and wrong here.
Wrong: "Making her go" despite the fact that she is gravely ill and in pain. While it's nice that the wife is considerate of the possibility of injury to one of the seniors at the care facility, it'd be nicer still if she would insist on equal consideration of the dog's care and comfort in her final weeks.
The husband's argument is akin to forcing a terminally ill patient with a chronic pain disease to complete a 10K simply because they had signed up. "Insane" isn't quite the word. "Unconscionable" works, though. Or even "inhumane" or "ridiculously out of touch with the real issue."
The right thing to do would be to give this wonderful dog the respect she has earned and allow her a comfortable and peaceful retirement -- both from the job and from the world. Any one of us would want the same for ourselves. And I'd bet every one of those seniors she's brought so much joy to would insist on it.
Woof!
========
Dog trainer Matthew "Uncle Matty" Margolis is co-author of 18 books about dogs, a behaviorist, a popular radio and television guest, and host of the PBS series "WOOF! It's a Dog's Life!" Read all of Uncle Matty's columns at the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com, and visit him at www.unclematty.com. Send your questions to dearuncle.gazette@unclematty.com or by mail to Uncle Matty at P.O. Box 3300, Diamond Springs, CA 95619.
Copyright 2009 Creators Syndicate Inc.
This news arrived on: 11/07/2009
Printer Friendly Version | Send this page to a friend | Post Comment
Rate This Story:
Great - 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 - Bad
Posted Comments:
11-16-2009 08:40
Kathy Barber wrote:
13 yr old Lab
This poor dog should be put to final rest, and not allowed to suffer any more. Making him leave the house to work is ignorant and cruel. Please tell these people to stop the abuse.
11-14-2009 13:20
Elsie Stephens wrote:
Promises Broken
I totally agree with Uncle Matty with regards to the terminally ill Lab/Rotti mix. Any animal that has given so much to society should be retired and given the respect that they deserve in their final months on earth. I believe the family should show the dog the love and affection that the dog requires to be comfortable in its final days, and if necessary put the dog to sleep to end the pain it must be in. I would strongly recommend that if they wish to continue to visit the Senior Care facility and provide the Seniors with interaction with dogs, that this family adopt a well adjusted dog from their local humane society or animal rescue group, and continue their committment this way. It would not only benefit the Seniors, but also benefit an unwanted dog, rescuing it from possible euthanasia.
11-14-2009 06:40
kerrin St. John', NL wrote:
Promises Broken
I agree with Uncle Matty on this. The well being of the ill dog should definitely be the first and foremost on the owners mind. They should be spending quality time with the dog during her remaining time with them. Making her feel as comfortable and loved as they can.to consider that the dog. Should still be doing the volunteer work with. Them is totally selfish. Why don't they look into taking her to hav doggie massage. Help ease her pain. Or better yet spend time giving her gentle massage themselves. Treat her with dignity and love in the last part of her life. Don't make her work while in paior until the end. I have 4 standard poodles and a Yorkie and I know their final days when they come will be spent showing them how much they are loved.
11-07-2009 03:33
Kathy Cook, Newton, NJ wrote:
I agree whole-heartedly with Uncle Matty on this one. I have a 13 yr.old Labrador who is in great health & spirits. There is finally a dog park in my area. But, as much as I would like to take him there, I'm afraid that he would get hurt. I would be able to put him in with puppies and/or small dogs, but I don't think that's fair either. What I am doing is trying to get him out more to the local state parks in my area. I give him a special supplement that keeps him on his feet because he got very unsteady on his feet this past spring. He does not appear to be in pain; if he were, I don't think he'd be bouncing around like a puppy.
Comment archive | Comment FAQ's
 |
 |
View Dogs, Cats and Other People ezine stories by date or visit the complete archive |
The ArcaMax Politics channel is one of 70 content categories offered by ArcaMax Publishing on this ... |
VideoSquares.com
