It's not wrong

Casadena

Dear Prudence, 

I have a 6-year-old dog that has mental problems. (Yes, really.) We have tried everything our vet has recommended over the past few years: training, over-the-counter meds, prescriptions, and treatment by a well-respected certified behavioralist. Unfortunately, she is not getting better. My own health is declining and I love her, but the subject of euthanizing her has come up at home and briefly in the vet’s office. Is this wrong? And if we decide to go down this path, am I obligated to be honest about why she was put down when relatives and friends ask?

CharmedPam

No. Not obligated “she was sick so we had to put her down” is the truth. 

levioosa

BFF had a dog (a mastiff, so definitely not the dog you would want with this) with Rage Syndrome. She spent thousands on vet bills, meds, personal health bills, and behavioral therapy. Her husband thought she was overreacting until he saw the dog snap one day completely unprovoked and attack both of them. So they had to put the dog down. She got a lot of heat and one of the vets even refused because the dog “was young and healthy and without any health issues.” She had attacked three people at that point, one of whom needed 40 stitches. It was a health and safety concern. 

downtondiva

If the dog's condition is not responding to treatment and you are not able to handle her, putting her down may unfortunately be the best option. This is not a situation where finding the dog a new home will resolve the problem - it will just pass the problem on to someone else, if anyone would even be willing to take her. I love dogs, but your health and safety need to come first.

short+sassy

Now I'm sad!  It never occurred to me that animals can be born with mental health problems just like people.  I know it can happen if they've been abused and sometimes that can be helped with patience and time, though not always.

I think the most important question to ask for these decisions is, "Are they happy most of the time?  Are there things/activities they enjoy?"

It sounds like the answer is "no" for both of those questions and perhaps always has been.  It's such a hard thing to do, but the LW's health is even more important and they seem to also think this is the best decision for their dog.

It's not wrong and I hope they don't feel guilt about euthanizing their dog.  They should just leave it a simple "their dog was sick and unfortunately had to be put down" because that is the truth.  People generally don't ask questions anyway when hearing news like this.