This is a very difficult post…and one that breaks our hearts to share. It is about behavioral euthanasia…an issue that is not talked about often but is something that is faced by rescues and pet owners, often alone for fear of repercussions. This post will likely anger some, but we must talk about it.

We recently had to behaviorally euthanize our handsome foster boy, Rey. We know he tried so hard, and we did all that we could for him but sometimes dogs engage in behaviors we just don’t fully understand and ones that simply cannot be overcome. When these dogs are no longer considered safe, the most difficult of all decisions must be made.

Rey spent time in 3 different foster homes while in the care of FBV. In all those foster homes, he bit the foster parents; one instance was so bad his foster mom required medical care and antibiotics. He also attacked the resident dogs. We worked with a trainer on Rey’s behavior issues but they continued to worsen. On one occasion, he experienced such a severe bout of anxiety that he passed out from enlarged saccules that blocked his airway. The vet suggested removing his saccules to help alleviate some of his difficulty breathing but his anxiety exasperated his breathing after surgery resulting in the need for an emergency tracheostomy. He was seen by numerous ER vets and specialists in hopes that we could help him. On his last visit to the vet, he was so aggressive that the vet team was unable to provide him with medical care and even basic care like being taken out to potty. Every time the vet team would approach Rey’s crate to care for him, he would lunge at them.

We made the tough decision to put him to rest and be free of whatever it was that was troubling him. The most difficult part of rescue are the ones we can’t save….the ones who never find their happy endings. We tried so hard to help Rey find happiness, but in the end letting him go was the best thing we could do for him.

Behavioral euthanasia is always a last option and never a decision we take lightly. We explored many other options for Rey, but those options were just not enough to help Rey improve. We want to thank all those individuals who helped care for Rey. We appreciate all that you did for him….know that you gave him all the love you could. Sometimes we just can’t save them all no matter how hard we try.

Sadly, in rescue we are seeing more and more Frenchies with aggression issues. We are saddened to see the Frenchie breed displaying such behavioral issues and fear that without more people considering temperament when breeding that these issues will worsen before they get better. Please support responsible breeding and help our amazing breed suffer less of these aggressive tendencies.

If you are someone who has had to make the difficult decision to euthanize a pet for behavioral issues and are looking for individuals who will understand what you are going through, consider joining the support group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/losinglulu.

RIP Rey….you will forever be in our hearts.