Herath Ralalage 1

Kalhara Herath Ralalage Professor Holly Batty English 115 02 December 2013 Euthanizing Dangerous Dogs !he Rights an" #rongs Euthanasia refers to the act of $ur$osely en"ing a life to sto$ $ain%suffering& Ho'e(er) this term is commonly use" to "escribe the act of $utting "o'n "ogs 'ho are $rone to un$ro(o*e" aggressi(e beha(ior for the +greater goo",& But this raises the -uestion) 'oul" the greatest goo" be one that benefits both humans an" "ogs. Rehabilitation in the /nite" 0tates isn1t the most commonly thought of solution) 'hether one is loo*ing at an aggressi(e "og or a serial *iller& 2 lot of $eo$le 'ill ta*e a'ay a "og1s life 'ithout secon" thought) treating them more li*e commo"ities than +man1s best frien",& 3t1s true that there has been (ery serious "amage inflicte" by "ogs) an" one is able to sym$athize 'ith those 'ho feel that euthanasia is necessary) but con(ersely) there ha(e also been $eo$le trying to euthanize "ogs for sim$ly acting rough 4a cou$le bites an" such5& !his is es$ecially true if the "og is of a bree" that is $re6concei(e" as naturally aggressi(e) such as Pit Bulls an" Rott'eilers& 2n analogy for ho' ri"iculous this is) is gi(ing a large muscular $erson the "eath sentence for thro'ing a cou$le of $unches& !his is 'hy the main argument of this essay 'ill be that it is generally immoral to euthanize "angerous "ogs) unless all attem$ts to fin" a suitable alternati(e ha(e faile" an"%or are "oing more o(erall harm than goo"& 7oo*ing at it from a utilitarian $oint of (ie') there is a grey area as to 'hat the greater goo" is) but there are also scenarios 'here it is clear 'hich the greater goo" is 4such as if the search for a suitable alternati(e is $ro(ing futile an" the "og has to be restraine" u$ all "ay) 'hile ta*ing it1s toll financially on the o'ner5& 3f Euthanasia is the chosen o$tion) it shoul" at

Herath Ralalage 2

least be "one so 'ith goo" 8u"gment by someone 'ho has actually consi"ere" the $ossible alternati(es seriously& !he "angerous "ogs that are euthanize" consist mainly of Pit Bulls) 'ith Rott'eilers coming in secon"& !hese t'o bree"s account for o(er fifty $ercent of the un$ro(o*e" attac*s in the /nite" 0tates& !his statistic has been hy$e" u$ -uite a lot by the me"ia) an" is continuing to be so 'ith each attac*) so sim$ly reacting in self6"efense 'hile being a Pit Bull or Rott'eiler may be enough to get the "eath $enalty& !his is un8ust for other ob(ious reasons as 'ell as the fact that there are larger "ogs not seen to $ose a threat that are $erfectly ca$able of inflicting some serious "amage to humans) animals an" $ro$erty& 9f the Pit Bulls 'ho "o "is$lay aggression) a goo" $ortion of them are traine" for "og fighting rings) an" are therefore only aggressi(e to'ar"s other "ogs& 3n the :ichael ;ic* case 'here he 'as con(icte" for animal cruelty) all the "ogs that 'ere seize" in the "og fighting ring busts 'ere gi(en tem$erament tests an" out of more than forty "ogs) only one 'as actually foun" to be an imme"iate can"i"ate for euthanasia 43n other 'or"s) beyon" thera$eutic hel$5& !he normal $roce"ure 'oul" ha(e been to boo* these +e(i"ence "ogs, for euthanasia straight after all the legal formalities 'ere com$lete& !his is alrea"y enough to su$$ort the claim that Euthanasia is being e<$loite" an" that "ogs may be nee"lessly losing their li(es& :any $eo$le seem to thin* that the aggression "is$laye" by such "ogs is inherent or cannot be controlle" but there is rarely a $hysiological cause behin" it& :any beha(ioral $roblems that any "ogs ha(e stem from e(ents that ha(e occurre" "uring their lifetime) much li*e humans& !here are t'o main causes of beha(ioral $roblems& =irstly is abuse or neglect by the o'ner4s5& >om$lete neglect 'ill ob(iously cause $roblems) but there may also be certain nee"s that the o'ner is not satisfying "ue to ignorance) a$athy or both& !he secon" cause is something

Herath Ralalage 3

e<ternal in the en(ironment constantly u$setting the "og& !his is a har"er $roblem to "etect an" correct) since it coul" be (ery obscure& :any o'ners seem innocent an" there may ha(e been some trauma cause" to the "og in the $ast unbe*no'nst to the o'ner) but a ste$ that may hel$ minimize abuse is an o'ner com$etence test such as the one $ro$ose" by the /K go(ernment& !his test $uts o'ners through a series of assessments to "etermine his%her suitability in ta*ing care of $otentially "angerous "ogs) re-uires a microchi$ containing his%her information to be installe" in the "ogs nec* an" also re-uires them to $ay insurance in case of an attac*& 2ssuming that the o'ners are in"ee" com$etent enough to ta*e care of an" care for their +"angerous "og,) thera$y may be the best alternati(e& Katie 7ar*in) a 'oman 'ho is "e"icate" to +buil"ing a better future for Pit Bulls,) through her organization Angel City Pit Bulls, has alrea"y $ro(e" that Pit Bulls are more than ca$able of being "ocile an" com$letely com$atible 'ith the a(erage family& :any $eo$le ha(e been sur$rise" by the le(el of frien"liness e<hibite" by her Pit Bull ?ambassa"ors?& !here are a number of 'ays in 'hich one can go about taming their "og1s aggression& !he most ob(ious one is to see* $rofessional hel$& Preferably e<$erts 'ho ha(e a lot of e<$erience 'ith han"ling the $articular "og bree"& >esar :ilan 4Host of @ational Aeogra$hic1s Dog Whisperer5) 'ho has more e<$erience 'ith Pit Bulls than most other bree"s recommen"s "oing this) an" $ro(i"es lin*s to fin" an e<$ert on his o'n 'ebsite& He also $ro(i"es a self6hel$ o$tion through his D;Ds) an" 'hile this may not be com$letely effecti(e for the no(ice "og trainer) it may hel$ 'hile the search for an e<$ert continues& !here are rarely any "ogs beyon" hel$) but the main "ra'bac* to this metho" is that it may be -uite a time an" money consuming $rocess& !his is also 'hy it is im$ortant that the o'ners themsel(es are com$etent an" fully $re$are" to acce$t the res$onsibilities of o'ning $otentially "angerous "ogs&

Herath Ralalage B

!he ne<t alternati(e is gi(ing the "og u$ to the care of animal sanctuaries or shelters& !his is actually the best o$tion for $eo$le 'ho are actually irres$onsible or neglectful 4'hether they a"mit it or not5) or those 'ho sim$ly "on1t ha(e the time an"%or money to in(est in rehabilitating their "og& !he "ifference bet'een an animal sanctuary an" a shelter is that a sanctuary aims to ta*e care of an animal as best as $ossible until the en" of it1s life) 'hile shelters see* to $lace their animals un"er the care of an in"i(i"ual as soon as $ossible& =or this reason) actual animal sanctuaries are rarer than animal shelters) so they may not be 'ithin a reachable "istance for many& 9ne has to be careful 'ith selecting an a$$ro$riate animal shelter too& !here ha(e been cases 'here shelters ha(e mistreate" their animals an" many shelters may lac* the *no'le"ge an" e<$erience to ta*e care of trouble" "ogs& !hus) some research on the shelter%sanctuary is necessary& !he main "isa"(antage 'ith shelters is that they rely mostly on "onations) so they may be unable to acce$t animals "uring $erio"s of economic har"shi$& 0till) there are a large number of $eo$le absolutely committe" to hel$ing animals at any cost) so there is al'ays a chance of fin"ing hel$ "e$en"ing on ho' har" one loo*s& 3n conclusion) there is more than enough e(i"ence to fully 8ustify that the *in" of euthanasia that is force" u$on aggressi(e "ogs is un8ust& 3t shoul"nCt e(en be calle" euthanasia since it in no 'ay hel$s them) an" most of the time) 8ust ser(es as a con(enient 'ay for $eo$le to get ri" of the $roblem& !here are ho'e(er a 'ealth of alternati(es a(ailable if $eo$le coul" 8ust be 'illing to search for them) an" be creati(e 'hen going about fi<ing the $roblem& 3f there is no feasible alternati(e) at least the euthanasia can be 8ustifie" an" carrie" out 'ith a clear conscience& Perha$s 'ith a a little fine tuning) any aggression can be use" to ai" humans 4guar" "ogs an" la' enforcement "ogs5 instea" of causing "amage&

Herath Ralalage 5

Bibliogra$hy ?3n "efence of 1"e(il "ogs1 the $ro$ose" com$etence test for "og o'ners is "esigne" to sto$ hoo"ies o'ning $it bulls) says Bren"an 91@eill& But are the "ogs) or their o'ners) really that "angerous.? Spectator D :ar& 2010 2B& Opposing Viewpoints in Context& #eb& 21 @o(& 2013& 3n "efence of 1"e(il "ogs1 is about the $ro$ose" com$etence test for "og o'ners is "esigne" to sto$ +hoo"ies, from o'ning these so calle" +"angerous "ogs,) by the /K go(ernment& !he o'ner must un"ergo a series of assessments) 'hich assess the o'ners suitability for the "og) $ay insurance to a thir"6$arty in case his%her "og "oes attac* e(en after $assing the initial tests) an" install a microchi$ near the nec*s of their "ogs containing their names an" a""resses& !his $ro$ose" test 'ill be more to curb the number of irres$onsible "og o'ners 4!he $re(ention a$$roach5& /$on further research) this article has been foun" to be legitimate& !here are se(eral sources confirming that this test has in"ee" been $ro$ose"& !herefore) there is no shortage of ethos in this article& !here are also some o$inions mentione") about 'hy these "ogs are labele" as ?"angerous? or ?"e(il? "ogs) an" they are $erfectly 8ustifiable& 9ne thing that is a a fact though) is that these "ogs "o in"ee" ha(e the size an" strength to "o some serious "amage& !his article is -uite useful) as it ser(es to bac* u$ the argument) that brutal "og attac*s may be a result of $oor careta*ing& 3t also "emonstrates 'ays to cut "o'n on unnecessary euthanizations) an" increase the chances of a "og getting some hel$ instea" of being gi(en a "eath sentence& !he reasoning behin" this $ro$osal an" its $racticality can be use" to su$$ort the thesis of this essay& !ullius) Paul) +!he 0ofter 0i"e 9f Pit Bulls& 2 Re(ile" Bree" Aets 2 :a*eo(er&, Time 1 E2&B 420135 5B& Academic Search Premier #eb& 22 @o(& 2013& !he article "iscusses the $it bull bree" of "ogs as of Fuly 2013) focusing on information about the aggressi(e re$utation of $it bulls an" their association 'ith "ogfighting& 3t states that $it bulls are the least a"o$te" an" most euthanize" bree" of "og in 2merica& 2ccor"ing to the article) o(er 300 munici$alities ha(e banne" $it bulls) inclu"ing Den(er) >olora"o an" :iami) =lori"a& Pit bull o'ner Katie 7ar*in1s foun"ing of the 2ngel >ity Pit Bulls organization is e<amine") inclu"ing the grou$1s efforts to rehabilitate the $ublic image of $it bulls in 2merica& !his article is reliable because the source of information is firsthan" an" comes "irectly from Katie 7ar*ing) 'ho has $lenty of e<$erience 'ith Pit Bulls an" training them& !he article also goes into $lenty of "etail to bust the myth that Pit Bulls 'ill al'ays be fille" 'ith inherent aggression an" cannot be traine" to be more "ocile& !his article is also (ery useful as it su$$orts the claim that most "ogs) inclu"ing bree"s commonly seen as "angerous) can be rehabilitate" an" traine" to be more com$atible 'ith the a(erage family) "ecreasing the euthanasia an" increasing the number of a"o$tions& !his su$$orts the argument that there are real an" $ractical alternati(es to euthanasia&

Herath Ralalage D

+2 $ossible $it $rece"ent., Dog Watch 12&2 4200E5 10& !eneral One"ile& #eb& 22& @o(& 2013 !his article tal*s about a Fu"ge1s efforts to sa(e "ogs from buste" "ogfighting rings& !he 8u"ge from the :ichael ;ic* case seems to ha(e ha" a change of heart an" or"ere" that the "ogs be tem$erament teste"& 9nly one "og out of forty eight 'as an imme"iate can"i"ate for euthanasia) an" the rest 'ere $lace" into "ifferent care systems& Due to the huge me"ia blitz surroun"ing the ;ic* case) the s$ecifics of all the information may be -uestionable) but the gist of the article) that these "ogs are usually only aggressi(e to'ar"s other "ogs is legitimate& !his fits as a nice $iece of e(i"ence su$$orting the thesis of this essay) as it $ro(es that the aggressi(e nature of +"e(il "ogs, is 8ust o(erhy$e"&