Been asked to kill a pet rabbit...

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Preitler

Preitler

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Hi,

well, at least now I know there is another breeder not a mile away, came to me because she heard that I have rabbits too, but for meat (which is only half of the truth).

She breeds angora and small lops for pets, two does got into a fight and one ended up with a ripped out anus and about 1cm of gut :cry:, a bloody mess. The favorite pet rabbit of her 10yo son...
Her rabbits seem to be cute little pets, but fierce fighters, killed 3 rats in the last 2 years.

So she came over to ask me to kill it, couldn't do it herself. Argh. If it were one of mine it would be clear what to do, but a pet rabbit of other people, nah. Sorry for the poor thing, but I refused politly, vet is taking care of that tomorrow.

I mean, of course it would have been more humane to kill it, but I'm not going to make a bloody mess, well, bloodier mess out of a pet rabbit, since in such a case I would use a gun.
I simply can't tell the boy to say goodbye, pet him a last time, and then go around the corner and kill it. Too sissy for that.

I feel kinda bad now, and don't know if it were worse had I done it... :oops:

Preitler
 
It is your call, of course, but I would do it.

It isn't right to let the poor thing suffer until tomorrow... and a better lesson to the boy that sometimes compassion and responsible ownership means making a hard choice to ease the suffering of a beloved animal.

I live out in the country, and sometimes people's pets-ranging from dogs and cats to elderly horses- need to be put down. It is a given that "I'll put yours down if you will do the same for me some day."
 
I'm not sure if a gun would have gone over as well as they think and I would have been hesitant to do that. I've had rabbit eyes pop out or burst with my pellet gun. Along with a lot of blood spraying and often staining down their neck or shoulder as well as the grass area I shot them in. I would probably do it if I could broomstick and see if the parent had something to wrap it so the son doesn't see the entire dead rabbit. I grew up with the fact things die though. I buried a lot of cats hit on the highway that looked pretty bad. My favorite when I was 10 seemed to have gotten just her nose run over with her face smashed, her eyes popped out, and her skull partially split. At the previous house in town my pet new zealand got ripped open by the neighbor's dog when I was maybe 6-7 and my pet cat when I was about the same age was hit by a car and the vet said the person probably swerved in to the curb to hit him on purpose. Shortly before we moved we made a grave and headstone for our favorite 2 guinea pigs also killed by a dog. My mom even cried over one of the guinea pigs because she was such a sweet thing and would come to her name. I'm not sure I had a year growing up that something didn't die just because of how many animals we had and how many things can go wrong to all those small animals.
 
Of course it would have been more humane to kill the poor thing, but actually I should not use the gun there, highly illegal, and yes, that makes an ugly mess.
I'm not very strong, and no experience in breaking necks. I kill my rabbits by bopping (also eyes popping out), with crossbow or gun.

I sure didn't want to have to work on a shrieking heap of misery.

Killing my rabbits: My decision, no moral problem there. Ok, there will be some emotional stress when it comes to breeding stock which are actually pets for me, but well, I'll see. I'll have time to sort that out.

It wasn't so much the killing that bothered me, but the circumstances. Didn't know the people, and I would never ask someone to kill one of mine. I'm pretty slow when it comes to grasping other peoples emotions. Generally not very social or good with people. But reconsidering, it sure was difficult for her to ask me...
Arghh.

Great, now I feel really bad :?
 
Preitler, please don't feel bad about this. It was rather presumptuous of total strangers to ask that of you when they wouldn't do it themselves. You were put on the spot and it's not always easy to think clearly under those circumstances.

In your place, I would likely have euthanized and disposed of the rabbit . . . but if they wanted to take the body home for burial, they would need to understand that quick death is not always pretty. There is no reason for a young child to be exposed to that when it is his pet . . . the parents should have spared him that. And they should have spared the rabbit the delay. It was their responsibility, not yours.
 
I agree with Maggie. Can't imagine they'd ask you to do something that is clearly their responsibility. Maybe they should consider a different hobby other than breeding animals. Culling and putting an animal out of misery come with the territory.
 
There is not a thing about this for you to feel bad about. You were under no obligation. Totally your decision to make.
 
I'm sorry ~ they put you in a rough spot.
Having just had to kill one of our rabbits this week (with my almost-10 year old sobbing and begging for 'one more goodbye')~ my first time doing it, it sucks.
And I totally racked my brain about who I could call to come and do it with or for me... but in the end, it was my responsibility, and I knew when we started this that it would come to this some day (I had hoped much later!).
I hope the mom in this case figures it out or gets out, because just like MSD says (and I told my daughter) ~ it is my job to do it when I take on the care of them.
 
I'm not sure I would have done it. Especially if I didn't know the family. I would be worried about legal ramifications. Especially if they brought the child along and he was "traumatized".

You just never know how some people will react. I feel bad for the rabbit but I think you did the right thing. The only thing I might have done was coach the parents on how to get a clean kill. Although, I don't think well on my feet, (thank goodness for hubby) and when put on the spot like that I really doubt I would have thought about coaching.
 
You were put in a very awkward spot by strangers...I probably would have turned them down too...I feel for the rabbit and the child in this situation.
It was stupid for the adults to have allowed the rabbits to get into a situation where this could happen..accidents happen but, if two rabbits are being aggressive you separate them.It's just that simple,you are a lot bigger than they are..so you get scratched or bit..I have broken up fights between large dogs...it is what you do...Never allow it to go that far...
This may sound harsh but these people are learning a lesson here, If the pain of their pet (who probably did not live out the night and died in horrible pain :evil:) and the pain of their child (who is wondering why they let it happen :cry: ) isn't enough, Maybe a hefty vet bill will teach them that being a good steward is not all fun and games.... :angry:
 
I'm sorry to hear it happened. Like the others have said, bad timing and bad place. I can understand them asking, but being breeder herself, I would expect her to have the knowledge and understanding to do an immediate kill if need be and even explain or at least put the pet rabbit into a coffin of sorts for burial if she couldn't deal with her child seeing it. I can understand that, it is traumatic and depending on the age of the child and level they are at may be quite damaging and impossible to understand...but seeing as she chose to breed other rabbits I wonder what she'll do when there's one with an immediate issue that must be put down and there is no chance of a vet within reason and she has a shrieking pain struck rabbit (even though I see this as a ASAP do it now no matter how I feel type of situation any way). There is far worse than the fight she has come into contact with. I wonder, even though I understand it isn't your place, did you ask what they are going to do if worse happens like what I mentioned? Not all situations allow to wait for a vet.
 
My protective instincts and sympathy for the rabbit push me strongly in favor of the instant mercy kill, but liability, and this person's fumbling inability to handle the situation on their own, despite being willing to take known risks like allowing adult does access to each other...
Something about that whole scenario just doesn't feel right.

I think I may have refused too.
 
My protective instincts and sympathy for the rabbit push me strongly in favor of the instant mercy kill, but liability, and this person's fumbling inability to handle the situation on their own, despite being willing to take known risks like allowing adult does access to each other...
Something about that whole scenario just doesn't feel right.

I think I may have refused too.
Click to expand...


That was my immediate thought too upon reading this; "what were two adult does doing confined like that anyway?!" Yes, crap happens, maybe they were trying something new or were only confining them like that while cleaning cages or something - who knows.

But dealing with the fallout isn't anyone's responsibility but theirs.

I will say though, at least in my county, I am blessed that our Animal control offers low cost euthanasia for those too attached to do it. I believe the fee is $25, might be less since that is their "everything under 100#" price. I know this because I preemptively researched "what will I do if I am just so attached to that one doe it causes me to have panic attacks to even consider". It hasn't happened yet. I have found quite the opposite to be true once I started (I have found that it is easier on the ones I am attached to; because I know they were happy before, had a good life, and I am giving them a humane and dignity filled death, it is still a very sad affair, especially if something avoidable like this). But it is still good to know if something ever changes with that. ;)

Having said all that though, if they approached me long before hand like; "Hey, if anything ever happens to one of our rabbits; we have trouble doing the deed, would you be willing to offer us culling services for a small fee/wool/vegetables/eggs/feed/etc." I'd be fine with it because at least then, we could pre arrange rules and guidelines such as they need to bring something such as a towel to wrap the body in after, I refuse to have an audience (especially a child), I'm extremely uncomfortable with other peoples' grieving too (I feel it very strongly and will usually cry worse than them :|) so they would have to have already made their goodbyes, and them understanding well ahead of time what my culling method is and being okay with that. But that's me.

It's that sudden SPRINGING IT ON YOU that is just completely lacking in any forethought - for breeders especially. What have they been doing when they get sick kits?!
 
Well, I had a talk with that lady yesterday.

The does were living together for 2 years, it's not allowed here to keep pet rabbits alone :? , she even tries to keep bucks together. They were fine, but now one is in heat and there was a fight. You can't be around rabbits 24/7 to break up every fight, and she didn't expect that.

This rabbits are so different to mine, they are friendly, cuddly, fear nothing (one buck walks with the dog, a big german shepherd), don't mind beeing picked up and beeing handled (even by strangers), and they are well taken care of. This poor, injured one was the most adorable bunny I've ever seen...

Now that I know these people I would help them, but I'm new in town, just moved here, and that was just a bad start.

Preitler
 
I'd have to go with MamaSheepdog. It is something that just has to be done sometimes and I know my neighbor would do it for me as I would for him if neither of us were around. I wouldn't want the little guy to suffer more than it already has. JMO.
 
Zass":32r7xaiz said:
You mean it's actually illegal??? :shock:
Click to expand...


Yeah, laws are made by people who have no clue, listening to ARA arguments like "If I were a rabbit I would feel sooo lonly, poor things.."

It doesn't apply to lifestock, thank god, only pets. And I've never heard this law being executed anyway, a paper dinosaur.

Also, I'm pretty sure I would get in trouble would I use wire cages. There were decades of discussion about chicken in cages (outlawed), now guess I stuff a poor, cuddly rabbit in such a cruel torture tool... :?

On the other hand, I'm pretty confused about your city limits on rabbits etc. - as long as I have space, care for them and don't trouble anyone thats completly my buisness...

Preitler
 
Preitler":17xuh48p said:
Zass":17xuh48p said:
You mean it's actually illegal??? :shock:
Click to expand...


Yeah, laws are made by people who have no clue, listening to ARA arguments like "If I were a rabbit I would feel sooo lonly, poor things.."

It doesn't apply to lifestock, thank god, only pets. And I've never heard this law being executed anyway, a paper dinosaur.

Also, I'm pretty sure I would get in trouble would I use wire cages. There were decades of discussion about chicken in cages (outlawed), now guess I stuff a poor, cuddly rabbit in such a cruel torture tool... :?

On the other hand, I'm pretty confused about your city limits on rabbits etc. - as long as I have space, care for them and don't trouble anyone thats completly my buisness...

Preitler
Click to expand...
I'm pretty sure I would go crazy if that happened here in the US. Can't stand the ARA.
 
:yes: I'm sure they feel it's just kinder to have them mutilate each other every now and then...
Since, like you said, one cannot possibly be home to break up every fight.
 

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