Comments on the dilemma in the June issue: 'Possession is nine-tenths of the dog'

摘要

The dilemma in the June issue concerned a seven-year-old dog, whose owner brought it into the practice to be put to sleep, due to what he described as aggressive snappy behaviour, which had led to his wife and young child being repeatedly bitten. Before any action could be taken, his wife arrived and explained that they were going through a messy divorce. She did not consider the dog dangerous and did not want it euthanased. However, all the records were under her husband's name so he appeared to be the dog's legal owner (IP, June 2015, vol 37, pp 310-311). Richard Brown proposed that, first and foremost, the dog had to be kept alive until more information could be gathered, and advised keeping clear and accurate records on the situation. It could be useful to contact a professional body, such as the BVA or the Veterinary Defence Society, for advice, and he also suggested finding out whether any member of staff could give evidence to support that the woman was one of the dog's owners. As the husband wanted to destroy the dog, it might be possible to have his wife take over the ownership.