Jan
I Love Dogs, So Why Did I Have to Kill a Happy, Healthy Animal?
written by Andrew McInnis. Appearing in K9 Magazine issue 23
Celine Jacobs is a 37 year old dog warden, employed by South Gloucestershire Council. Up until very recently, she enjoyed her job. She found that helping dogs and educating dog owners was very rewarding. She took great pride in her work and cherished the time she was able to spend in the company of dogs. Very recently she was forced to do something which went against every fibre of compassion in her body – she took a healthy, young dog to be put down. Ever since, she has struggled to come to terms with what she did, this is her story.
“The other day I had to do something that went against everything I have ever strived for, I took a lovely, young, healthy dog to the vets and I had it put to sleep, the reason for this was that he had been identified by an expert as being a Pit Bull type.
When the expert identified the dog yesterday I thought my heart would break, without an owner to fight the dog’s case the law says we have to destroy them. For seven years I have been a dog warden and for seven years I have never put a dog to sleep that wasn’t on the advice of a vet due to illness or injury.”
Red was a stray. He couldn’t help the fact that his genetics and appearance categorised him as dangerous. He was young, healthy and apparently very friendly.
“This dog was only about one year old, he was highly social with other dogs, even when a Jack Russell tried to attack him, he showed no aggression. I could touch him all over and kiss his face and cuddle him with no hint of aggression, he was well mannered and well behaved, probably the nicest dog in the kennels at the time.
Since 10.30am yesterday I have cried, all day and all night and I have thought of nothing else apart from how I could have stopped this happening, but there was nothing I could do, so this morning at 7.30am I went to the kennels and I got Red out, we walked about 5 miles and then we went in a secure paddock and played chase with a ball until he was worn out, then I took him to a food van and bought him some sausages.”
For a dog warden, having a dog put to sleep is the last resort and is typically done due to illness or injury. The experience of putting Red to sleep has left Celine traumatised.
“When we went in to the vets his tail was still wagging and he sat there licking my face and licking the tears of my face, he didn’t know I was going to have him killed. I held him all the time and he slipped away in my arms quietly, I held him even when he was dead and sobbed my heart out.
Now I feel empty, I feel like I have finally been beaten and that all I have ever tried to do has been broken, I wanted to dedicate my life to saving dogs and now I have killed a fit, healthy, happy dog and I don’t think I can live with it or continue to work as a Dog Warden.
I know a lot of people think dog wardens enjoy killing dogs, I have never been so miserable or felt that what I was doing so wrong……Now I feel that I hate people, I hate the law and I hate my job. The only small thing that has kept me from falling completely apart over this is the fact that at least I know no one can hurt him now, he will never be thrown in a pit and ripped to pieces and no one will ever abuse him or beat him. I hope he enjoyed his morning with me before he went. I know that I had to do this as it is the law and it is what my job entails, as a dog lover however it is heart breaking.”
That was Celine speaking just hours after her ordeal. But how does she feel now that she has had time to reflect?
“I am still devastated about Red and not a day passes when I do not feel that I have taken a life that I had no right to take. Red was a lovely young dog and as far as I could see there was no aggression in him towards people or other dogs. I became a dog warden to save dogs lives not to kill dogs for no other reason than the shape of their bodies. I will never forget Red, as it went against everything I believed in, I came very close to leaving the job after I killed red. It was only the massive response I had from people that made me carry on. But now every time I get called for a stray I dread it being another Pit Bull type that I may have to kill. It has taken the joy out of my job and destroyed a part of me.”
Breed specific legislation was certainly an influential factor in the sequence of events that lead to Red’s death, but how does Celine now feel about a law that she has been governed by throughout her professional life.
“The legislation should assess all dogs on their temperament and the owners should be taken into account. Owners in most cases are responsible for the behaviour of the dog. I believe that before anyone is allowed a dog they should pass a compulsory basic test which shows they have some understanding of what a dog requires and what it takes to make sure the dog is well socialised and trained and will not become a danger. I also believe that a license of some description should be reintroduced, if a cost was involved it may deter people buying dogs on a whim. The owners of dangerous dogs should also be punished to make them think twice before getting another dog.”
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This article appears in K9 Magazine issue no 23
Pick up a copy here
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This. This right here is all anyone ever needs to read to understand the folly of breed specific legislation. For those who feel a dog can be completely categorised by its genetics and physical appearance, they can’t possibly have ever had to feel what Celine felt when she took Red to his legally appointed death.
My heart goes out to Celine…and to the animal care workers who have to euthanize healthy, unoffending animals because of unfounded, unjust and shoddy law with absolutely no basis in fact or science, that is politically motivated and fuelled by media hysteria.
Ever seen a politician get his or her hands dirty killing a happy, healthy animal? You never will. They kill from a distance, with bad law.
Who was the ‘expert’ who decided that Red was a Pit Bull type? What are his/her qualifications that gives them the power of life or death over dogs.
BSL is wrong, end of story!
I can not understand how or why a pit bull type does not include a Staffordshire bull terrier. They are pit bull types. I live in Ontario, Canada and Staffordshire bull terrier are banned here. Do these legislators think they are fooling everone? This is obvious racism. Maybe they are trying to hide their history. Pit bull type dogs originated in England, period. That’s really what this is all about. I love all pit bull types and all dogs. This story is utterly cruelty to both the warden and the dog. They are murderes.
i agree with linda….were there no other ways to keep the dog alive? if celine being a dog warden felt soo bad about the whole incident..why couldnt she just adopt the dog and claimed to be his owner..then Red (the pitbull) wouldnt have been declared a stray no longer and celine could have atleast fought against the law..and even if needed why didnt she ask for help from anyone..im sure there are lota people who would have helped her…this is cruelty! just sitting there and crying doesnt solve a problem…after i read this story i cried too.i had a bad day.now does that help? no…too bad its too late ! but celine still had time to figure out a solution..but again on the other hand i dont want to blame celine..cz who knows what kinds situation she was put into…and im sue she felt quite bad about this too cuz she actually saw this dog….but i know this for a fact this dog could have been saved ! if theres will…theres way!
Rhea
Before you go insulting people with your oh ‘soo’ flip comments I suggest that you ‘bone’ up on the law.
Celine was in an impossible situation. One of her duties is law enforcement. You are suggesting that she breaks the law in several different ways. Oh I forgot, it’s not really law is it, it’s dog law so you can just ignore it, until it’s one of your family or friends who need our help. You don’t want to blame Celine? You did a damn fine job of trying to do just that. Unlike others, the one thing you can’t blame Celine for is hypocrisy. Celine and the vast majority of Dog Wardens (yes, I am one too)are often put in these situations. We don’t like it but we have to try to deal with it. It’s unfortunately life in the real world.
Rhea,
The situation Celine was put in was really quite simple. She has a job which means she picks up the pieces left behind by irresponsible people who throw their dogs out or allow them to roam. Someone out there didnt have the nerve nor interest to stand up for their dog. Want to blame someone? Blame them.
I am as anti BSL as you can get and have worked with many owners fighting for their dogs lives. I also spoke to Celine personally some time ago. This destroyed her and almost made her give up a job where she does alot of good and saves alot of lives. You wont read about that in the media though because that is her job. She does it, like many, without a word.
You know for a fact this dog could have been saved? So I presume you know for a fact that all type dogs can be saved while this law is still in force? Do tell us. We have been fighting for a while now and we still watch them die. Even when their owners stood there waiting for their return.
If you have a magic wand that stops people finding themselves inbreach of the law and possibly imprisoned while keeping their dogs do post it. If not, maybe you should be looking to place blame at the feet of those who havent the nerve to change a law that does not work!
Rhea: You and people like you have caused this problem. Beacause you have chosen to ignore the law others have chosen to ignore the law i.e. knowing that a dog is a Pit Bull Terrier Type and is prohibited but deciding to ignore that fact.
This in turn has enabled people who care nothing about these dogs other than as a boost to their macho image to return to open use of this ‘type’ of dog in their activities, and others, who either don’t know what they have or have decided to ignore the law (both of which in my opinion indicate serious irresponsibility) to march them openly around the streets re-focusing the public’s attention on the ‘type’ – which is prohibited and the public know are prohibited.
Let this be absolutely clear the law has not been repealed and until it is, it is the law.
Law is not changed by people ignoring it!
It may be wrongly conceived but it is the law.
You have every right to oppose it, as do I, but it is the law and you have absolutely no right to ignore it or demand of other people that they ignore it.
It was a law brought in to place with open support from the RSPCA and Dr Roger Mugford and tacit support and deafening silence from the Kennel Club.
Do not now use as your scapegoats those whose public duty is to enforce it, those whose occupational Association’s advice to government has always been against BSL.
Section one of the DDA continues to distract attention from the very real problems that need to be dealt with. It should be repealed and replaced with stronger legislation controlling all dog owners of any ‘type’of dog.
But note well that at the moment the proposals from a Scottish Parliamentary Minister for ‘modernisation’ of the law, supported by the Kennel Club (and with the underlying support of the published work of the Dangerous Dogs Act Study Group (DDASG) a sub-group of the Dog Legislation Advisory Group (DLAG) on which the Kennel Club, RSPCA and Dogs Trust sit) do NOT seek to repeal section one, they simply expand on the content of section 3, and in the process draw away from the civil actions available in the 1871 Act.
If you and other critics of the legislation wish to know more about this read preceeding articles and comments within this e-publication.
In the meantime do not cry over things you brought about yourself – work to change them.
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Cuthbert Jackson, it is those who have a blind adherence to the law which allowed the Holocaust to occur in two world wars, the killers were acting within the law! Dogs do not stop breeding because you say they should. Animal cruelty is animal cruelty, whether Japanese whalers, dog fighters or animal control officers along with vets who kill healthy dogs.
‘Just following orders’ is not an excuse.
Given what is happening to animals in the UK is it any wonder society is becoming more violent and uncaring!
Alex,
I join you in your condemnation of “blind adherence to the law”. But the comparison of events in play that caused two world wars and the loss of millions of human lives to breed specific legislation and the insane labeling of certain breeds of dogs as evil, degrades the validity of your argument. Save the drama for Hollywood.
As a dog lover and a defiant opponent of BSL, I would never compare the author of the article above with those that were complicit in the murder of millions of innocent people. In short, get a grip.
I will grant you that those who succumb to using stereotyping as an excuse to give up thinking never need to be placed in positions of power. That is where “we the people” need to stand up and speak up to change the status quo. Pit bull owners need to be vigilant in making certain their pets are the creme de la creme of all pet dogs. Education of the ignorant is the best way defy and overcome the wrong we see in BSL.
In WWII, Allied powers spent much time and effort in planning assassinations of Axis leaders. Ultimately, the US dropped 2 atomic bombs on Japan to stop that conflict. Surely you realize that such extremes are not the proper route of defiance to BSL.
Historic comparisons can be useful; just make sure they are valid.
Well when i read this story i cried buckets such a sad situation, i’m all for its not the breed its the owners, i can’t comment on celines situation as i have not been there, maybe i would maybe i wouldn’t have done it different, i don’t know till it happens. The BSL definately needs looking at and we also need some protection for us responsible owners. We are all on the same boat here and should be getting our heads together and figuring out a solution.
This makes me very sad. My heart goes out to Celine and Red. I am utterly baffled that in this day and age where people are very aware of their own personal rights, we still have some who believe these laws are a good idea.
I just cant keep from shaking my head…What is wrong with you people. There are people killing each other over drugs or maybe just $5.00. And you are worried about PITBULLS…Such a sad world that we live in. We know have the LAW telling us what breed of dog we can own..Well I for one will ALWAYS own a pitbull. No doubt. Always Will. If it means that I have to move 2 states away, so be it. I just wish the People who are behind this bill would open their eyes. Might I suggest that each and every person who is in aggreement with the BSL Bill, each one of you visit a shelter local to you. When you get there let the staff know that you are interested in seeing a pitbull. Because I am sure if you DID, you would OPPOSE that Bill and be fighting like we all are. Give them a chance…
Discrimination always begets injustice.
As i read this story i cryed my eyes out… But my best friend (my 70lb. 5yo. Pit) Harly, came up to me and wiped the tears from my face with his big ol’ toung….this is another form of race crime…. Its like saying all white people are well off, asians are great at math, africans are good at all sports, ect. The same things is happining to our pets, saying Pits and Rotties are dangerous. Labs are calm, ect. In my oppinion people are trying to save the lives of so many animals that are are on the indangered spiceas list they have stopped careing about other animals. Tigers are dangerous, should we kill all the tigers? Same as wolves. Should we wipe them out to? ….if people remove everything concitered “dangerous” we would have to destroy humans first. We kill without cause, steel for no reson, lie for no reson, show little remorse for actions. BSL is wrong, it is just another race discrimination, but now we have chosen a race that cant voice there oppinion. If you disagree feel free to tell me. Eli
What a sad story and what a terrible situation for Celine to have been in. I am surprised that this was her first healthy dog she had to have PTS tho. Healthy PBT types are being PTS almost weekly if not daily due to these pathetic laws. What has our country become?
The point is that all dogs within a breed, or breed type, shouldn’t be catagorized as vicious. They should be dealt with on a case by case basis. By saying,”Who was the ‘expert’ who decided that Red was a Pit Bull type?”, you imply that if the person really did have expert qualifications and correctly identified the dog; it would be alright to euthanise it.
I am familiar with APBTs (American Pit Bull Terriers), and AmStaffs (American Staffordshire Terriers). From the pic, this dog appears to be one of either of these two breeds. If I saw someone with this dog who told me it was a registered pure breed of either of these two breeds; I would believe them.
Most communities which have breed specific legislation in the USA, do include Staffordshire Terriers as pit bull types. But I don’t think ANY dog should be classified as vicious due to its breed or breed type.
A little history of APBTs (American Pit Bull Terriers), and AmStaffs (American Staffordshire Terrier).
In the early 1800s, farmers and ranchers of the N. American midwest found the bull and terrier dogs (originally from England) were excellant as a pig and cattle dog. It was hardy, had the will and power to handle semi-feral pigs and cattle, and were easy to train for almost any other farm task that a dog could do. Hunters often crossed these dogs into their various hound stock to improve the ability to resist illness, such a distemper, and hardyness on the trail. Even today many lion packs (a pack of hunting dogs that are used to track down mountain lions for either radio collaring or hunting) include one or more APBTs in them; alond with Coonhounds, Walker Hounds, an Airedale Terrier, pitxhound, and an poccasional hound of other breeds.
In the late 1800s, the breed was accepted into the UKC (United Kennel Club) as the American Pit Bull Terrier. [The UKC was founded soon after the AKC as a KC that supported hunters and other dog people of what was then considered the west, as travel to the east coast was long and arduous for taking dogs. A few decades after the breed was recognosed by the UKC, some breeders applied for recognition by the AKC (American Kennel Club) The AKC refused on grounds that the breed type was too broad. Some breeders worked toward bringing more uniformity, and in 1939 those breeders won acceptance by the AKC for their breed under the name of American Staffordshire Terrier. For some time, most AmStaffs were also registered as APBTs with the UKC.
As farmers and ranchers moved into towns, they took their APBTs with them, where the breed became known as a family pet, especially good as a childrens companion. (see “Our Gang”) Then dog fighters, who use to use several dog breeds, mostly of bull and terrier origins, including, but not limited to Staffordshire Terriers and Bull Terriers; settled more and more on APBTs. Today, most people think the APBT was developed for dog fighting and aren’t aware of its all purpose farm, herding, and hunting backgrounds.
one dog upsets you? im a local govt animal control officer in New Zealand…. our district has 6000 registered dogs with 5000 owners, town population around 45000… we impound approx 1000 roaming/stray/lost/found dogs a year,600 of these get reclaimed by owners, 50 get rehomed… 350 get euthanised a year..
i agree! whilst i understand that it is their job, no one would force them to take a dog to be put down if their beliefs were against it.
every vet, every kennel, every dog warden and every police officier that enforces the ban, wether it siezing, holding or euthanizing. they allow the ban to work.
if EVERY vet, kennel;, dog warden and police officier refused to aid the ban in any way shape or form. the ban wouldn’t work and it would have to be lifted!
all of use have the power to lift this ban. BUT WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER!
i am sobbing reading this. i am waiting on a call from a reporter today who is going to do an article on my american bulldog who saved my son in a house fire. i feel it is my duty as a lover of all breeds especially bulldogs to put across the loyal, loving and couragious side of our beloved bullies. i hope that with some positive imput into the media that we can stop the murder of these beautiful creatures . i will always be haunted by that gorgeous dogs eyes now. when will this end.
Hello
Well I have tears in my eyes just reading.
I know this is what happens but it is refreshing to hear someone who understand it is NOT the dog it is the owners that should be punished.
This story just shows that as a nation we are scum that we are prepared to kill a whole breed for what they look like. I hope we can all sleep at night knowing we all do f all to stop this.
They do not have voices they put there trust in us and this is how we repay them.