State Appeals Court gives owners the right to shoot pets 'humanely.'

[Statkowski]

http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-...tory?track=rss

A state appeals court has ruled that a Carbon County woman was wrongly convicted of cruelty in the killing her pet dog.

The panel ruled that state law allows a dog owner to kill a pet with a firearm.

''We find that it is permissible … for a dog owner to dispose of his or her dog that is not injured or unfit for use by means of a firearm,'' the decision said.

The appeals court judges wrote that Pennsylvania's law on killing animals is confusing. The law says it's a misdemeanor to willfully and maliciously kill, mutilate or torture any dog or cat. But a subsection of the code allows owners of a dog or cat to kill it, as long as the killing is not malicious.

The judges also cited another part of state code that addresses how humane societies can destroy animals that lets a gun to be used as one of the methods.

[625]

I say that's good news. It would be extremely difficult if not impossible for most dog owners to shoot their own dog, but if it was in severe pain and was going to die anyway, why not? You'd need to live in "the sticks" to get away with that though. If I, for example, shot my cat in my back yard, I'd be breaking some other law most likely.

[DCChris]

That's the downside. I have a patch of woods across the street from my house, but would probably still get a hassle for discharging a firearm in the borough.

[normanvin]

Most pet owners could not shoot their own dogs. But I suppose if the dog is pretty bad off and you can't afford to have the vet put it to sleep it could be an option.

i really can't say taking your dog out back and putting a slug in it is humane.

[Statkowski]

Whether a pet owner does or does not do such is an individual choice. For some, a 20-25 mile trip to a vet to have a stranger in a strange place put the dog down is hard. A trip to the woods, a bullet in the brain, that might be easier for some.

[knight0334]

It took them til 2008 to figure out that you can dispatch your own pets with a gun??

Hell, I knew that when I was toddler back in the mid 70's.

[sgser]

OLD SHEP

When I was a lad
And old shep was a pup
Over hills and meadows wed stray
Just a boy and his dog
We were both full of fun
We grew up together that way

I remember the time at the old swimmin hold
When I would have drowned beyond doubt
But old shep was right there
To the rescue he came
He jumped in and then pulled me out

As the years fast did roll
Old shep he grew old
His eyes were fast growing dim
And one day the doctor looked at me and said
I can do no more for him jim

With hands that were trembling
I picked up my gun
And aimed it at sheps faithful head
I just couldnt do it
I wanted to run
I wish they would shoot me instead

He came to my side
And looked up at me
And laid his old head on my knee
I had struck the best friend that a man ever had
I cried so I scarcely could see

Old shep he has gone
Where the good doggies go
And no more with old shep will I roam
But if dogs have a heaven
Theres one thing I know
Old shep has a wonderful home

[Dave in PA]

A friend of mine has a Rotty that was bad off. He made the decision to put him down, but didn't want to subject his pet to a traumatic ride to the vet. The dog never liked going there, and he didn't want the trauma to be the last thing the dog knew. It took two days to find a vet that would come to the house and put the dog down. He was pleading on the phone, offering to pay any amount the vet wanted. Finally he found one, and they came right out. The dog was put to sleep in his own bed.

[str8shooter]

"come on Rover boy.....let's go hunting! "

"Two go out, only one comes back."

[LastManOut]

That's good. I haven't broken any laws then,"doing favors" for friends and church members.