May 22, 2019

"Emma, a healthy Shih Tzu mix, was euthanized recently because her owner left explicit instructions in her will..."

"The fur baby was to be put down — and laid to rest with her. 'Heartbroken' shelter volunteers at Chesterfield County Animal Services — where Emma had a two-week reprieve from death — said she was a well-bred, pampered and much-loved pup. They appealed to the executor of the dead woman’s estate, begging them to not go through with ending Emma’s life — but their pleas were ignored.... After she was cremated, her ashes were placed in an urn and returned to the 'authorized representative of the estate,' following her owner’s last wishes to the letter.... 'WTF!!! people don’t care for animals in life or death!!! this is heartless, inhumane, and pitiful!!!!,' one particularly heated [tweet] reads. 'And the people who killed said dog are even more trash!!' While killing healthy pets so they can be interned with owners is sparking ethical debates on social media, the law is crystal clear, says Larry Spiaggi, president of the Virginia Funeral Directors Association. 'It’s not legal to put a dog’s cremated remains — or any animal — in a casket and bury them,' says Spiaggi as his chocolate Lab, Peace, trots laps around him."

I'm reading "Healthy dog euthanized to be buried with dead owner as her will requested") in the NY Post.

First, the word is "interred" (not "interned").

Second, the article is clear that the dog cannot and will not be "be buried with dead owner," so that headline is pathetic. The dog was killed and cremated ashes were given to the estate. And the quoted funeral expert explained the law on the subject. It's one thing to have your dog killed, and you can do that, but putting nonhuman animal remains in a cemetery is outlawed. I can see why. One lady might want her dog in her casket with her, but the other people using the cemetery don't want it to be a pet cemetery.

Third, I'll leave it to you to discuss how awful it is to dictate that your dog be put down when you die. I wonder exactly what the thinking was. I imagine the woman believed and wanted to believe that the dog was so completely bonded to her that it could not live with another person and it would require a mercy killing without her. Or maybe she believed that the dog would be released to join her in the afterlife. It's not necessary to judge the dead woman to be a horrible person, even though I don't like that the dog was killed.

151 comments:

tim in vermont said...

I liked Dane Cook’s routine about a “Stop Cruelty to Dogs” pig roast.

Achilles said...

Is this a hoax?

Has this ever happened before?

Has a man ever demanded a pet be killed to be interred with him after he died?

Molly said...

(eaglebeak)

Not saying she owner was awful or crazy, but it does remind me of having your best wife or servant or child killed to be buried with you.

Morally wrong, in other words.

I Have Misplaced My Pants said...

Fur baby needs to be in quote marks.

Only thing worse than that asinine term is using it with a straight face.

Nichevo said...

Dog-murderess! Bad enough to do that to a Cadillac. Maybe she was a Manchu empress in a former life.

rehajm said...

the dog was so completely bonded to her that it could not live with another person and it would require a mercy killing without her

I think my mom's dog is one of those. You know those stories about the dog that waited by the railroad tracks every day after his master died. They shipped his masters casket back east and the dog last remembers thats where his master was? Well, that's my mom's dog...

J. Farmer said...

@Achilles:

Has a man ever demanded a pet be killed to be interred with him after he died?

Ancient Egypt is the only time I can think of.

Ignorance is Bliss said...

...but the other people using the cemetery don't want it to be a pet cemetery.

And they certainly don't want it to be a pet sematary...

Yancey Ward said...

Yeah, journalistic standards have declined a great deal.

Pettifogger said...

Canine suttee.

mccullough said...

It’s solid estate planning. Cheaper to kill the dog than set aside money for its care.

J. Farmer said...

Still seems like an incredibly selfish thing to do. Like pet owners who allow their pets to linger in poor health conditions because they don't want to part with them.

JPS said...

"It's not necessary to judge the dead woman to be a horrible person,"

Maybe not, since I know nothing else about her, but I hate her decision. If my dogs outlive me, my guidance is, Please find them someone who will love them and take care of them.

rehajm said...

On the flip side, in New Hampshire there was an owner of a gun dog who left in his will for his gun dog to be brought to the local animal shelter along with a fair endowment for the dog's care for the rest of his life, and a generous donation to the shelter. Well, another hunter that knew the man and dog got word of this and went to the shelter to rescue the dog only to learn the shelter had killed the dog and kept the money...

Original Mike said...

"One lady might want her dog in her casket with her, but the other people using the cemetery don't want it to be a pet cemetery."

The other people using the cemetery don't want anything. Ever.

MikeR said...

What a criminal waste. Give her to a local Chinese restaurant.

Bill R said...

There's a story among Catholics about a woman who asks her priest about Heaven. "Will my little dog Trots be in Heaven. I couldn't possibly be happy in Heaven without Trots."

The priest tells her. "If you really can't be happy in Heaven without Trots, then Trots will be there."

gspencer said...

"They appealed to the executor of the dead woman’s estate, begging them to not go through with ending Emma’s life — but their pleas were ignored.... After she was cremated, her ashes were placed in an urn and returned to the 'authorized representative of the estate,' following her owner’s last wishes to the letter.... 'WTF!!! people don’t care for animals in life or death!!! this is heartless, inhumane, and pitiful!!!!'"

Oh, spare me.

"The pro-lifers appealed to the woman as a mother, begging her to not go through with ending Emma’s life — but their pleas were ignored.... Afterwards Emma was placed in the medical waste pail, along with other aborted children. These children were carted to a crematorium where they were turned into ashes that were then carted to a state-authorized landfill, following the aborting mother wishes to the letter.... 'WTF!!! Those who abort and their helpers don’t care for the unborn, only the money!!! this is heartless, inhumane, and pitiful!!!!'"

YoungHegelian said...

Second, the article is clear that the dog cannot and will not be "be buried with dead owner," so that headline is pathetic. The dog was killed and cremated ashes were given to the estate. And the quoted funeral expert explained the law on the subject. It's one thing to have your dog killed, and you can do that, but putting nonhuman animal remains in a cemetery is outlawed. I can see why. One lady might want her dog in her casket with her, but the other people using the cemetery don't want it to be a pet cemetery.

Well, who knows about Virginia, but I have to tell you that someone I know well died recently & the ashes of three pets were put in the coffin with her in Maryland & she was buried with them in another state. The funeral directors in both states knew about the animal remains because they were listed on the "bill of lading", so as to speak, for the coffin's contents.

According to to the funeral director in MD, people get buried with their pets' remains all the time. Very common.

Paul said...

Wow, like the Egyptian Pharaohs she took all she 'owned' with her. I wonder if she wanted her children done that way to?

exhelodrvr1 said...

Is it morally OK for the owner of a feed lot to put in his/her will that, when the owner dies, all of their cattle should be butchered?

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

If this sparks a reminder that pets should be re-located upon an untimely death, good.
If this is true, ugh - how sad. Depressing and selfish beyond comprehension.

When my aunt died, and she knew that she was going to die at some point, she made sure a friend would take her cat. Please, take the time to find someone to agree to care for your pet(s) if you should kick the bucket. thank you.

Bay Area Guy said...

I've had to put down two dogs; one when I was a teenager, one in my early 40s.

Each had been with us for 10 years.

Quite painful, but you grieve and get over it.

I'm hoping to get another 6 or 7 years more from my current dog. He is a trooper.

NO, I wouldn't tinker with my Will over these fine, loyal, loving pets. That's just stupid.

Narr said...

What's the heaven/hell giveaway?

If you see dogs, you're in heaven, if you see lawyers . . .

Narr
Fuck that bitch (the human one)

Achilles said...

J. Farmer said...
@Achilles:

Has a man ever demanded a pet be killed to be interred with him after he died?

Ancient Egypt is the only time I can think of.

Pampered and coddled all their life. Narcissistic to the point of megalomania. Belief that they are immortals/deities.

Am I describing the pharoahs or women in the US?

Professional lady said...

I just read that it's now legal to compost human bodies in Washington state.

Original Mike said...

Blogger gspencer said..."Oh, spare me."

"The pro-lifers appealed to the woman as a mother, begging her to not go through with ending Emma’s life — but their pleas were ignored.."


Exactly. I'd love to see the Venn diagram of the sets of pro-abortionists vs "save Emmaists."

Fernandinande said...

...must...repost...

"While traveling on the Navajo Nation, remember that you are on a sovereign, self-governing nation, and just as you would abroad, please obey all tribal laws and regulations. We as Navajo people view our land as a spiritual entity & as such PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE CREMATED REMAINS IN CANYONS, MOUNTAINS, WATER, OR ON ANY PARTS OF NAVAJOLAND."

Ignorance is Bliss said...

Achilles said...

Am I describing the pharoahs or women in the US?

I assumed you were describing cats.

Original Mike said...

We were on the hook once to be the "executor" for the benefit of my wife's friend's dog Peaches. Fortunately, Peaches died first.

madAsHell said...

Washington becomes first state to legalize human composting

So, I've got that working for me......

The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...

Not something I would do myself, but I can see how some might fear the dog could be abused or neglected in their absence. The responsible thing to do would have been to find a good home for it while the lady was still alive, but many old people are stupid and irrational about their belongings. I hope to die in a room with nothing in it but the bed I'm lying on and the book I was reading before losing consciousness.

Ignorance is Bliss said...

They appealed to the executor of the dead woman’s estate, begging them to not go through with ending Emma’s life — but their pleas were ignored....

Executors gotta execute...

madAsHell said...

I Shih Tzu not!!

AlbertAnonymous said...

We need to ban Dog Killing immediately...

except in the cases of rape or incest of course.

Ignorance is Bliss said...

The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...

I hope to die in a room with nothing in it but the bed I'm lying on and the book I was reading before losing consciousness.

That could be arranged, for a modest fee. You busy this weekend?

Temujin said...

If you love the animal, you don't kill it. If you don't give a shit about the animal, you don't kill it. You let it go because, you don't give a shit about it.

This took an extra bit of thinking and an extra level of selfishness to do this. Sometimes I wonder if we're very far afield from Neanderthal.

stlcdr said...

"...nonhuman animal [remains]..."

Is that correct phrasing? Can't you just say nonhuman OR animal?

stlcdr said...

Washington. Legal. Human composting.

Expect to see a lot of people accidentally falling in wood chippers.

hombre said...

Here we have a double dose of 2019 American lunacy: a. People who have an inordinate attachment to their own pets; b. People whose outrage over the death of an animal outweighs their outrage over, say, 600 million abortions.

Gospace said...

I seem to recall that somewhere in history when emperors died (not in all areas, but some) his loyal servants were killed and buried along with him so they could continue serving him in the afterlife.

Bur what rehajm said..."On the flip side, in New Hampshire there was an owner of a gun dog who left in his will for his gun dog to be brought to the local animal shelter along with a fair endowment for the dog's care for the rest of his life, and a generous donation to the shelter. Well, another hunter that knew the man and dog got word of this and went to the shelter to rescue the dog only to learn the shelter had killed the dog and kept the money...

I believe I've read about that happening more than once. To cats also. If you have pets and die- there's a better than even chance that one way or another your pets will soon follow, no matter what arrangements you think you've made for their care.

StephenFearby said...

In quite a few ancient societies it was common for great men to be buried with either their wives (they had to be euthanized, either willingly or unwillingly), horses, armor, etc, etc.

These days, some men have been buried in their favorite cars or with their motorcycles:

"...The most impressive vehicular burial in recent memory belongs to Billie Standley in Mechanicsburg, Ohio. It's not in a car but on a motorcycle. He was so serious about going to the grave on his 1967 Harley that Standley's family worked while Billie was still alive to figure out how it could be done, according to the Dayton Daily News. The final undertaking required a modified cement septic tank and three burial plots, but Standley got to take a final ride by arriving to the cemetery on his bike while a truck towed them along."

https://www.motor1.com/news/226236/people-buried-in-cars/

The final sentence in the Post article is:

"While Virginia state code prohibits burying animals with humans in commercial cemeteries, there are exceptions for final resting spaces that are family-owned."

So, there are multiple reasons why killing your favorite dog so it can be buried with you can be appealing. But probably the best explanation is, "Half the people you meet are below average intelligence."

Michael K said...

Second, the article is clear that the dog cannot and will not be "be buried with dead owner," so that headline is pathetic.

My partner's wife, who died in her sleep at age 46, was buried with her two cats in the casket with her. They had predeceased her.

I have the ashes of my golden retriever in a cedar box, ready for me to follow.

gerry said...

When the animal dies, its soul dies since it has only an animal soul. That's what I was taught in some philosophy course decades ago. I still believe that to be true.

But if that not the case, I hope it bites her ass.

gilbar said...

Hey people! Don't interfere with other culture's traditions!

“Be it so. This burning of dogs is your custom; prepare the funeral pile. But my nation has also a custom. When women burn dogs alive we hang them, and confiscate all their property. My carpenters shall therefore erect gibbets on which to hang all concerned when the dog is consumed. Let us all act according to national customs."

SeanF said...

Molly: Not saying she owner was awful or crazy, but it does remind me of having your best wife or servant or child killed to be buried with you.

Reminds, maybe, but not the same thing. At all.

elkh1 said...

It's not necessary to judge...
But she was an arrogant b*tch who wanted the company of her pup with/without its consent.

I agree this sounds like a hoax.

Rory said...

Yeah, part of the problem is that professionals have forgotten that giving counsel is part of their job. A lawyer should be massively resistant to writing a will with such a clause in it, and a vet to carrying it out.

Theranter said...

Cracker @12:09 "Not something I would do myself, but I can see how some might fear the dog could be abused or neglected in their absence. The responsible thing to do would have been to find a good home for it while the lady was still alive..."

That was my first thought.

Right or wrong, it's also the same reasoning many use to kill their unborn, even when viable.

tim maguire said...

I can see why. One lady might want her dog in her casket with her, but the other people using the cemetery don't want it to be a pet cemetery.

So?

What right does anyone have to object to someone being buried with their pet? People get buried with other stuff. Should we regulate the clothes or jewelry they wear? Keepsakes? I don't want to be buried near anyone with bad taste.

The contents of somebody else's box is none of my business.

gahrie said...

How many of those outraged by this would be perfectly fine if they learned that the woman had had an abortion?

traditionalguy said...

Just another over protective mother demanding to outlive her child-property, or else. Many people are mean as snakes and proud of it.

traditionalguy said...

FTR: Shih-tsus are neurotic little semi-people more than they are dogs.

Left Bank of the Charles said...

Under what circumstances is it legal to kill your own dog?

Virginia law seems to make "any person who ... cruelly or unnecessarily beats, maims, mutilates, or kills any animal, whether belonging to himself or another" guilty of a misdemeanor.

"Unnecessarily" is an interesting legal standard. Euthanizing a very sick pet is something we can see as necessary or at least not unnecessary. Presumably, you can kill rats and mice, but is that because they are wild animals that belong to neither yourself or another, or is that considered necessary? There seems to be no statutory exception for hunting or slaughtering for meat, both of which many might consider unnecessary. Perhaps the "or" means "and" and the killing would have to be done "cruelly" to be a misdemeanor. Still, don't we think putting down a healthy pet just to fulfill the terms of a decedent's will is cruel?

Icepilot said...

"the other people using the cemetery don't want it to be a pet cemetery" ... because those pet cooties will escape the casket, crawl up thru 6 ft of dirt & get all over your shoes.
Or something.

elkh1 said...

Gerry, "When the animal dies, its soul dies since it has only an animal soul."

"Humans belong to the class known as Mammalia of the Animalia, or animal, kingdom. Members of the Mammalian class are often called mammals."

What happens to a human soul when the human dies?

~ Gordon Pasha said...

(CNN)The Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities announced its most recent discovery of a preserved double graveyard containing the remains of a man, his wife, and mummified animals, including cats and mice.

Scientists believe the discovery, which was unveiled Friday, is from the Ptolemaic period, which dates back more than 2,000 years. The tomb was found in the city of Akhmim about four miles from Sohag. 4-8-2019

Apparently this has been a thing for some time.

Curious George said...

"The fur baby was to be put down..."

This goes into my despised terms along with others like "baby daddy","man cave", and "redonkulous."

It's your fucking dog, asshole.

The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...

"The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...

I hope to die in a room with nothing in it but the bed I'm lying on and the book I was reading before losing consciousness.

That could be arranged, for a modest fee. You busy this weekend?"

Do you have an open weekend in 30 years?

Openidname said...

Our hostess's excuses for this horrible woman don't wash.

1. She thought the dog would be miserable without her: Then direct your executor to observe the dog for a week or a month or so after your death, and to euthanize the dog only if it seems despondent.

2. She thought the dog would join her in the afterlife: It can still join her after it dies a natural death. Her soul has all the time in the world to wait.

Danno said...

Being interred makes for a pretty long internship for the dog.

CWJ said...

My mother planned to euthanize her very old dog when she moved into a retirement home. My wife and I convinced her to give us the dog instead. Guess which one outlived the other.

The Minnow Wrangler said...

I don't have a big problem with the dog being euthanized. When my mom knew she was going to die she made us take her cat to be euthanized. The cat was older and not very adoptable, it was afraid of everyone except for my mom. I think it is difficult for animals to adjust to new owners and to be removed from their familiar homes.

I have a dog who suffered greatly when my husband died in 2015. If I also died I think it would be better for him to be euthanized. The dog sat in my husband's chair for months and every time someone came to the door it's like he was expecting my husband to come home again. Just as we get attached to our pets, they are also attached to us and it is devasating for them to lose their owners.

SDaly said...

Walking outside at lunch today, a very chipper young girl with a clipboard and wearing a Planned Parenthood t-shirt accosted me and asked if I wanted to help defend Planned Parenthood. I asked her if I would get a little crushed baby skull as a gift, like when you get a tote bag if you donate to PBS. She was not amused.

The Minnow Wrangler said...

If there is a home available for the bereaved pet, where it is familiar with the people who will be caring for it, that is one thing. But if you are a lonely single person and your pet is not well acquainted with other people and places, I have no problem with euthanasia.

tcrosse said...

Shih Tsus can be adorable, but there's not much meat on them once you clean them.

n.n said...

Without her owner's care, treats, and warm embrace, she is no longer viable.

daskol said...

gilbar, my mind also ran right to General Sir Charles James Napier.

Michael K said...

Just as we get attached to our pets, they are also attached to us and it is devasating for them to lose their owners.

I agree. When I was having some health issues, I had an insurance policy for some family member to care for my basset hound. He died of cancer three years ago and we now have a rescue female basset that was surrendered to a basset shelter when her owner fell and broke a hip. She is an old dog but there are two of us so she will be cared for.

daskol said...

peccanda

Martin said...

I, too, find the will of the dead woman to be appalling in calling for the death of her dog.

But, my God, the Twitter reactions!!!!

And maybe I am out of line, but I would bet that many of those people have no problem at all with aborting a fetus in the birth canal and some would be OK with "post-birth abortion."

Big Mike said...

It's not necessary to judge the dead woman to be a horrible person ...

It might not be necessary, but it does feel right. What if the shoe was on the other foot, what if the dog predecessed the owner so the owner had to be euthanized?

whitney said...

gahrie said...
How many of those outraged by this would be perfectly fine if they learned that the woman had had an abortion?

Yep. And they will spend any amount of money on medical treatments for their old pets but they want to euthanize their parents

The Minnow Wrangler said...

Michael K, Older dogs make great pets. It takes a while for them to adjust to their new homes but they are usually easy to care for and they don't need much exercise or stimulation. Just don't pay a lot of money to fix their teeth or they will immediately die LOL. This has happened to me more than once!

narayanan said...

Where is the British general who stopped "SATHI" by Hindoos in India

n.n said...

a very chipper young girl with a clipboard and wearing a Planned Parenthood t-shirt accosted me and asked if I wanted to help defend Planned Parenthood

Twitter me this. After conception it's homicide. After 5-6 weeks it's genocide. After the "age or state of viability" it's anti-women... Even in Gosnell's little chamber of abortions, there was collateral damage. Pro-Choice is a straw clown posing as a straw man.

PP inverted looks remarkably like an "Ok" gesture, the secret, underground symbol of the diversity-neutral, pro-life allies?

#HateLovesAbortion

narayanan said...

Need Venn diagram for people -
(not) / object to killing dog;
(not) / object to killing in 4th trimester;

n.n said...

what if the dog predecessed the owner so the owner had to be euthanized

That would be analogous to aborting... euthanizing the woman because her (the?) baby was no longer "viable".

jimbino said...

One lady might want her dog in her casket with her, but the other people using the cemetery don't want it to be a pet cemetery

How much less should we non-bleeding-heart animal non-"lovers" put up with dogs in restaurants? (I put lovers in quotes because true lovers never seek to own the object of their love.)

The Minnow Wrangler said...

It is pretty sad that more people object to killing a dog than killing a human fetus. I often wondered what people would think of a canine abortion (killing puppies) vs. a human abortion. If you did a "partial birth abortion" on a dog you would be condemned as some kind of puppy murderer. Kill a human fetus in the same way it's like meh whatever.

Anonymous said...

I can see the point of bringing your servants and retainers with you to the afterlife - you might need them. But you don't *need* your dog for any pressing task. (Shih Tzus aren't working dogs, for chrissakes.)

So geez, show a little more patience and less egotism already. He'll join you eventually.

Original Mike said...

"What if the shoe was on the other foot, what if the dog predecessed the owner so the owner had to be euthanized?"

Dogs aren't people. They just aren't.

Narr said...

On PP approaches: try asking if your donation gets you any influence over the gender, sex, or likely health-profile of the lucky winner.

Narr
I wouldn't give them a dime w/o something in writing.

jimbino said...

@Minnow Wrangler

It is pretty sad that more people object to killing a dog than killing a human fetus.

Consider an unwanted fetus, seriously threatening your health or life, like a cancer or a dog growing in your womb, and you will get the idea.

john said...

Michael K said "I have the ashes of my golden retriever in a cedar box, ready for me to follow."

So the box is big enough? Wow, that's real planning!

dreams said...

I suggest that the crybabies try to think of it as a dog's life aborted, already then...

Original Mike said...

"I asked her if I would get a little crushed baby skull as a gift, like when you get a tote bag if you donate to PBS."

Heh.

Ann Althouse said...

"The other people using the cemetery don't want anything. Ever."

I wrote the word "using" for a reason. Also "people." The corpses are not people and of course the corpses are not using anything. The people using the cemetery are the family and friends of the dead.

mccullough said...

I always tell the PP people that I only donate to Unplanned Parenthood.

Ann Althouse said...

But I did write "other people," implying that I thought this woman who died was currently "using" the cemetery.

I mean that when she was alive and trying to plan for her burial, she had an idea of how she wanted things to be. And other people, living people, visit graves or make plans for burials. All these people have an idea of what they are getting from the place, and though some people might want pets in the caskets, others want the cemetery to be a no-pets zone, and the tradition is not to mix human beings with other animals in a graveyard.

J. Farmer said...

"I tell ya, country clubs and cemeteries are the biggest wasters of prime real estate."
-Al Czervik

Ann Althouse said...

"...must...repost..."

Why, exactly?

You know, people scatter ashes in a lot of places, including national parks.

I assume people scatter cremains in graveyards, and I suspect the estate of this Shih Tzu lady, having received the dog's cremains, will scatter them over her grave.

stevew said...

Having pets is a selfish act. You buy or acquire the pet, it does not choose you. That it becomes attached to you results exclusively from the fact the you feed and shelter it, and generally treat it with kindness and affection. All your anthropomorphic stories about your 'fur baby' do not justify the ownership. Carrying out this woman's will is just more of the same sort of nonsense. If we are going to accept the concept of owning pets then we better be prepared to accept the decisions of the pet owners.

Note also that in many states you would be jailed for committing animal cruelty and abuse; not sure how euthanizing a healthy dog isn't cruel and abusive.

stevew said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
janetrae said...

I had a client leave those same instructions once, her reasoning being that no one would be as wonderful a dog-owner as she was, provide the same level of care and attention, and be willing to go the lengths she would to keep the dog alive (including, with a prior dog, thousands of dollars of treatment).

I made the request for the dog to be euthanized merely a "wish" of the client, and her children (a) didn't euthanize the pet, and (b) gave it away to strangers a week after she died. So, who knows, maybe it ended up as bait for a dog-fighting ring.

Ignorance is Bliss said...

You know, people scatter ashes in a lot of places...

When I die, I want to be cremated, have the ashes mixed into a milkshake, then have the milkshake hurled at a politician.

And make sure it is a chocolate milkshake.

chuck said...

What, she didn't request that the servants, slaves, and horses be put down and burned along side her? The Vikings knew how to do funerals.

jimbino said...

@J. Farmer

"I tell ya, country clubs and cemeteries are the biggest wasters of prime real estate."
-Al Czervik


So right. And the least defensible are the US Forest Service country clubs, costing fortunes, and hardly ever entertaining our Black, Brown or even Native Americans.

Fen said...

I'll leave it to you to discuss how awful it is to dictate that your dog be put down when you die.

Not to be "boring" and predictable, but I'll bet these outraged animal lovers would suddenly rationalized all kinds of justifications if this was a human fetus being murdered.

Both are treated as property.

The Minnow Wrangler said...


"Consider an unwanted fetus, seriously threatening your health or life, like a cancer or a dog growing in your womb, and you will get the idea."

The cases of unwanted fetuses (feti?) actually threatening life and health are very rare, and I don't object to abortion in those situations. A fetus is not a cancer.

iowan2 said...

100 comments.

My farm rearing allows me to see things more realistically. They are animals. Man has dominion over animals. This lady is a bubble off plumb. No more so than millions of adults across this nation and the way they treat their children. From the anti vaxers, to the anababtists, to the professors on college campi. Children are misused, abused, and harmed, There is a crisis on the southern border, because Democrats refuse to re-write the law to allow the US to immediately deport phony asylum seekers, thus eliminating the incentive for Central and South Americans to make the journey to the US. That would eliminate the need for mothers to put their 12 year old daughter on birth control to prevent pregnancy from the repeated rapes on their trip north. But rape is just the cost of doing business for the Democrat Party.
Putting a dog down at the whim of the owner, is of no consequence
Me?
Saturday I will awake and make a decision about going out to my friends farm, picking out a cute pink pig, shoot it between the eyes, and slit its throat to let it bleed out, and get it field dressed . All in preparation to roast it for the holiday festivities. We'll see.

Anonymous said...

One of the things about aging is the responsibility that you have for dogs, horses or other pets you might own. (Of course in the case of a life cut short you really have the same responsibility usually not the time to think about it however.) I know I have purchased my last hunting dog. Makes me sad because they have been such a big part of my life. Even should something happen to this one I know that my limited time and waning energy make it criminal to commit to another 12 or 13 year relationship with a dog. I know I won't make it. Fortunately my wife is younger than I and I can expect that should I go before the dog my wife will take care of her for her last years.

The Minnow Wrangler said...

Althouse said, "But I did write "other people," implying that I thought this woman who died was currently "using" the cemetery."

"I mean that when she was alive and trying to plan for her burial, she had an idea of how she wanted things to be. And other people, living people, visit graves or make plans for burials. All these people have an idea of what they are getting from the place, and though some people might want pets in the caskets, others want the cemetery to be a no-pets zone, and the tradition is not to mix human beings with other animals in a graveyard."

If she was just cremating herself and mixing the dog's ashes with her own this would not be an issue. I plan to be cremated myself and I will go with whatever option is the least expensive. Money is for the living. I'm up for that composting thing they are doing in Washington State now too. Plant a tree or whatever. I have no use for my body after I am dead. I filed a form when I lived in Nebraska to donate my remains for scientific research. It has been more difficult to do this since I moved to Kansas.

Skeptical Voter said...

I agree with a lot of what Minnow Wrangler has said (but I will say that there is a possibility that that "unwanted fetus" might grow up to be a b@tch or an SOB).

Years ago my father died--mother had gone a couple of years beforehand. He had a Miniature Pinscher--a foul tempered and evil little bugger who couldn't get along with my dog. My wife and I took care of settling my father's estate, cleaning up the real property etc. It was a load of work that took six months. But my brother, who lived 500 miles away, agreed to take the dog. Happiest day of my life was when I put that dog on the plane to my brother. He and his wife cared for the critter until it died several years later. That was a good thing, since I had to go take care of my brother's house and estate (also another six month long project) when he died. I don't think I could have stood it if that dog had survived and been part of the deal.

If you are old and alone you might think that nobody could take care of Little Rover as well as you--and there's no family to take the critter in.

stevew said...

All this talk about cremation and spreading ashes gets me thinking about The Big Lebowski.

https://youtu.be/u44D3qKKGPU

SeanF said...

Ignorance is Bliss: When I die, I want to be cremated, have the ashes mixed into a milkshake, then have the milkshake hurled at a politician.

When I die, I want to have my remains scattered at Disneyland - but I don't want to be cremated.

Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...

she's going to be reincarnated as a fire-hydrant

Karma's a bitch, if you are!"

rcocean said...

There's only one reason to kill a dog, when you die. Either the dog is extremely unhealthy and probably can't be adopted or you've tried to get him adopted and no one will take him.

I've had distant friends who had to kill their dogs. They had medical problems and couldn't take care of them, and NO ONE else would - so they say - take them. That makes minimal sense but at least there SOME logic to it.

Hitler killed his dog before he died. So, don't be like Hitler.

rcocean said...

Putting your pet down, is the worst part of being a pet owner. They get sick, incurable/terminal or they become so old they can't function, and you have to make the decision. Its either put them out of their misery or let them live a while longer. Its a tough call.

Wow, I'm depressed. Good thing I'm at work - otherwise I'd go get a drink!

gg6 said...

This is all very enlightening. I wonder what percentage of those 'horrified' at terminating the life of one's pet are just as passionate ly positive about a 'woman's right' to kill a fetus?
And, before you condemn me, yes, I do love dogs.

Phil 314 said...

She must have been a service dog.

RMc said...

First, the word is "interred" (not "interned").

Bill Clinton got excited there for a moment.

rcocean said...

Weirdly, I'm not sentimental about people - just animals, babies, and other helpless thing. People OTOH.

I could pull the switch on a convicted Killer - assuming they were 100% guilty - without a qualm. But I'd have trouble killing a pig, even if I raised him purely for meat. Sorry. Of course, there's nothing wrong with hunting if its vermin or to thin the herd.

rcocean said...

That's why the whole "I'm against the death penalty AND I'm pro-life" strikes me as strange. So, you're in favor of sparing the guilty AND the innocent.

But that's light years ahead of the bizarre liberal position which is "Pro-Choice and Anti_death Penalty" IOW, in favor of killing the innocent and against killing the Guilty. What makes the liberal/Left even more weird is that many of them are OK with killing innocent in war. Cf: Christopher Hitchens.

Clyde said...

The Pharaohs in the Egyptian pyramids did that sort of thing, having their wives and servants put to death and interred with them to serve them in the afterlife. I guess the other (human) members of this woman's family should be thankful that she didn't have the power to do that!

exhelodrvr1 said...

"You know, people scatter ashes in a lot of places, including national parks."

Did that a few miles west of San Diego from a helicopter with the ashes of a Merchant Marine sailor once - the chaplain's office on base had gotten the request from his widow that his ashes be spread at sea. There is an official Navy ceremony you go through for that, so I read it over the intercom (to the rest of the crew) and then poured the ashes out of the box out the window. Afterwards, I wrote a letter to the widow describing the process.

Molly said...

Iowan2 at 2:52 said everything i want to say. The woman dog-owner took in a dog and provided that dog with an excellent life, so I don't judge her too harshly. She may have believed that it would be cruel for the dog to live on without her.

Marcus Bressler said...

What a load of (living) horse manure!

Pets get killed EVERY FREAKING DAY at the pound (remember that word?) due to overcrowding. As I remember, PETA did it to.

For some inane reason, you cannot scatter your deceased family member's ashes out at sea (inside the three-mile limit). They're ashes FFS.

THEOLDMAN

Fernandinande said...

"...must...repost..."
Why, exactly?


It wasn't obvious? That on the Navajo Nation page of rules, the first rule and the only BOLD ALL CAPS rule was about leaving cremated remains, something I've never seen mentioned elsewhere.

You know, people scatter ashes in a lot of places, including national parks.

Sure, everyone knows that.

Anonymous said...

Everyone wondering about the overlap between the pro-choicers and those who are horrified at killing a dog: I know people who get enraged if they hear you use the word "retard", but are completely fine with aborting somebody because they have Down's Syndrome. Consistency and rationality have nothing to do with it.

Bob Boyd said...

It was only a shih tzu. Its not like it was real dog.

J. Farmer said...

On the abortion parallels, there is plenty of hypocrisy to go around. A lot of pro-life Rebublicans seem to have little difficulty supporting an American-backed Saudi war in Yemen that specifically uses starvation as a weapon of war and has led to the deaths of tens of thousands of children.

RobinGoodfellow said...

“It's not necessary to judge the dead woman to be a horrible person, even though I don't like that the dog was killed.”

I think she is pretty horrible. Or selfish. Or Egyptian.

ga6 said...

Try the veal, it is really fresh and tender

heyboom said...

The pure dedication and commitment to the wishes of the owner by the executor is a wonder to behold. Or maybe they're a cat person.

J. Farmer said...

If anyone is interested in an inverse story, see the story over Sam Simon's dog here.

chuck said...

@J Farmer

Are you saying abortion is war on children?

Ken B said...

“Having pets is a selfish act.”

It is. So is having dinner, having a spouse, having a car, having a nap, having a beer.

I guess having an embolism isn’t selfish. Expecting treatment for it is.

Ken B said...

As for Ferdinandistein's Navajo Post, which Althouse questions ...

You understand you say not wanting pet remains in cemeteries as some users would think it demeans the place. F is pointing out that one racial group objects — STRONGLY— to the remains of any other racial group in a vast area they use for the remains of their own group. I think he is pointing to an obvious inference, one that polite society scrupulously avoids drawing. You scrupulously avoid drawing it.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

So the pet had to die - but the burial wishes could not be met.

Wow - good going assholes. Nicely done.

As for CBS stereotyping me as a "Saudi backed" war supporter. Yeah - "news". Hot garbage.

rcocean said...

"A lot of pro-life Rebublicans seem to have little difficulty supporting an American-backed Saudi war in Yemen that specifically uses starvation as a weapon of war and has led to the deaths of tens of thousands of children."

And lots of pro-choice Liberals are against the wars in Syria and Yemen? Who knew.

rcocean said...

It wasn't until Trump got elected that I realized the whole Democrat Party and MSM HATED Saudi Arabia and Russia. I missed that while Obama was POTUS. Who knew?

rcocean said...

I missed all those Colbert/late-night anti-Putin/Russia and Saudi Jokes in 2009-2015. Remember when all the MSM, left/liberals supported McCain/Romney when they attacked Putin/Russia in 2012 and 2008. Who knew?

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

I wonder what the abortion policy is in Yemen?

correction: not CBS.

Rosa Marie Yoder said...

This is a tough one. My Chloe, a yellow lab, will sit at the window or lay in the driveway, waiting for me, even when I'm only gone 24 hours. She's 4 years old, meaning she and I may pass over at about the same time. Who knows. Maybe if she goes first, I'll ask someone to euthanize me!

J. Farmer said...

@rcocean:

And lots of pro-choice Liberals are against the wars in Syria and Yemen? Who knew.

As I said, "there's a lot of hypocrisy to go around."

It wasn't until Trump got elected that I realized the whole Democrat Party and MSM HATED Saudi Arabia and Russia. I missed that while Obama was POTUS. Who knew?

You should've been listening to me. I was criticizing Saudi arms sales and support for war in Yemen was it Obama's policies.

Remember when all the MSM, left/liberals supported McCain/Romney when they attacked Putin/Russia in 2012 and 2008. Who knew?

I do remember. And I thought it was ridiculous when Romney called Russia our "greatest geopolitical foe" in 2012 and thought Russiagate was equally stypid. A lot of hypocrisy to go around.

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

While it's possible she thought nobody could take better care of her dog, it could also be that she feared the opposite would be true - that the new owner would take such good care of her "fur baby" that furbaby would forget all about her and be happy in its' new home.

If you think of your dog as a surrogate child, the idea that your precious might end up with a new, better owner might just be unbearable.

I had my trusty, goofy, lovable Golden Retriever Barker put down a week ago and I'm still depressed about it. He was such a good boy. But if I had died before Barker, I have no doubt my brother (who already has 2 dogs) would have taken him in and cared for him.

Bob Boyd said...

Now everyone's memory of the woman will be this one disgraceful, despicable, selfish, heartless act. Nothing else she did in life will out weigh this.

Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...

the dog will be cremated,

...but the woman should be in turd

Rockport Conservative said...

I think you might be surprised at how many people have the ashes of their pre-deceased pets put in their casket of mingled with their ashes. Being of the elderly set I have heard of it quite close at hand. I wonder how often it happens that I don't hear of it?

Fernandinande said...

F is pointing out that one racial group objects — STRONGLY— to the remains of any other racial group in a vast area they use for the remains of their own group.

Correct. The Navajos seem concerned about spiritual cooties from ashes, and they felt that was more important to mention than laws about booze and guns and trespassing being illegal. But I don't think people could deduce that from my brief excerpt.

And it was a repost because I first posted it near the end of thread about racial segregation; now it's a comment about cremation and segregation.

Ken B said...

Fernandistein
Now that you and I have explained it, expect Althouse to scrupulously avoid the topic.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

I would have smuggled the dog out of there. Chain of silence. F*ck that dead bitch.

Gospace said...

SeanF said...

When I die, I want to have my remains scattered at Disneyland - but I don't want to be cremated.


Well, if you have friends willing to risk some jail time, buy them a towable wood chipper and tow package for their vehicle......

wishfulthinking said...

The woman obviously did not love her dog enough to allow the pup to live out her days with a loving family. She loved herself. Rotting in hell comes to mind.

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Fen said...

Consider an unwanted fetus, seriously threatening your health or life, like a cancer or a dog growing in your womb, and you will get the idea.

What kind of sex are you having?

Fen said...

Farmer: there is plenty of hypocrisy to go around. A lot of pro-life Rebublicans seem to have little difficulty supporting an American-backed Saudi war in Yemen that specifically uses starvation as a weapon of war and has led to the deaths of tens of thousands of children.

From the linked article:

"Save the Children blamed the widespread starvation on a Saudi-led blockade that was tightened a year ago after the Iran-aligned rebels fired a ballistic missile at the Saudi capital, Riyadh."

"The U.S. has scaled back its support for the coalition and called for a cease-fire by the end of this month."

Your summary of the article was very disingenuous.

BTW, do you expect Israel to call off strikes against Iranian Nuclear Missile launch sites because they are built next to a school? Should the US have left Iraqi anti-aircraft intact because they were surrounded by Saddam's human shields?

But wait there's more:

They led a low-level insurgency against the Yemeni government in 2004 after their leader, Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi, was killed in a government military crackdown following his protests against government policies.

The intensity of the conflict waxed and waned over the course of the 2000s, with multiple peace agreements being negotiated and later disregarded. The Houthi insurgency heated up in 2009, briefly drawing neighboring Saudi Arabia to the side of the Yemeni government, but cooled the following year after a ceasefire was signed.

Then during the early stages of the Yemeni Revolution in 2011, Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi declared the group's support for demonstrations calling for the resignation of President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

The Houthis boycotted a single-candidate election in early 2012 meant to give Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi a two-year term of office. They participated in a National Dialogue Conference, but withheld support from a final accord in early 2014 that extended Hadi's mandate in office for another year.

Meanwhile, the conflict between the Houthis and Sunni tribes in northern Yemen spread to other governorates, including the Sanaʽa Governorate by mid-2014. After several weeks of street protests against the Hadi administration, which made cuts to fuel subsidies that were unpopular with the group, the Houthis fought the Yemen Army forces under the command of General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar. In a battle that lasted only a few days, Houthi fighters seized control of Sanaʽa, the Yemeni capital, in September 2014. The Houthis forced Hadi to negotiate an agreement to end the violence, in which the government resigned and the Houthis gained an unprecedented level of influence over state institutions and politics.

In January 2015, unhappy with a proposal to split the country into six federal regions, Houthi fighters seized the presidential compound in Sanaʽa. The power play prompted the resignation of President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi and his ministers. The Houthi political leadership then announced the dissolution of parliament and the formation of a Revolutionary Committee to govern the country on 6 February 2015.


20 years of Civil War.

You know how, after a school shooting, democrats use dead children as props to score cheap shots, while claiming to "care" about same children? Yeah, that.

HoodlumDoodlum said...

Why is this even an issue? She's a woman and her right to bodily autonomy extends to calling for the death of living things as she sees fit (withholding care, actively killing, whatever). It's right there in the Constitution.

See, she likely MEANT well and so we must interpret anything she does as generously as possible. That's, obviously, the rule and it must always be followed (in a cruelly neutral way).

No one else has or can have an interest in the dog's life or wellbeing so even from beyond the grave a woman has an unquestioned right to demand that the dog be killed.

Now, if this had been an article about a man that'd be different.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Fen#

J. Farmer said...

@Fen:

Your summary of the article was very disingenuous.

I didn't summarize an article, I linked to a photograph.

20 years of Civil War.

There's been a lot longer than 20 years of intermittent civil war in Yemen. But how exactly does that justify the Saudis and Emiratis from attacking Yemen and attempting to install their own preferred leader? Although the Saudis and UAE have pretty much given up on that leader and instead are simply trying to carve up respective spaces for themselves within the country. Those tactics include bombing farms and food production facilities as well as blockading food aid from the population in order to starve them into submission.

You know how, after a school shooting, democrats use dead children as props to score cheap shots, while claiming to "care" about same children? Yeah, that.

I do care about the US in assisting in and supporting the destruction of another country. I opposed it when Obama came out in support for it in early 2015 and have opposed it ever since, including when Donald Trump doubled down on the policy. Now if you don't care, that's perfectly fine, just say it. But I have to admit I do love that in a comment where I say "there's a lot of hypocrisy to go around," someone thinks saying "Democrats do it, too" is a counterargument.