Mass. man says he couldn't afford vet, killed dog (with a hammer)

AP ^

[Chet 99]

METHUEN, Mass. (AP) — A Massachusetts man facing animal cruelty charges for allegedly killing his bulldog with a hammer told police the dog was sick and he could not afford to pay a veterinarian to put it down.

[Centurion2000]

...or spent time on a REAL farm where the realities of that type of life are very harsh. Where the kids will help their dad with the chore of putting down a choice head of cattle they helped raise since it was a day old calf, then hauled into the barn to be gutted then processed for the freezer. Or the choice hog they raised since it was a piglet and destined for the pig roast the following weekend........

Or having to kill the some of a batch of chicken eggs that just hatched because the chicks are malformed and going to die anyway. Mercy killings and livestock killing .... not fun ... but must be done.

[henry_reardon]

all he had to do was call the ATF, they’d have come over and shot it for him

[Mariko]

And that’s the difference. All the people citing pneumatic hammers are off-base. A pneumatic hammer has far more force than the strongest man, weilding a sledgehammer could muster.

The claw end? I live near Methuen, MA and there are at least six shelters within 20 miles, where he could have surrendered the dog, to be humanely euthanized at no cost.

[MrPiper]

What's wrong is that the squeamish are going to force their view to the point that I will be a criminal for a clean, close up shot, even though I will be bawling my eyes out as I dig a hole next to where kitty, gizmo, christie or chia are already buried

Its called being a man and undertaking unpleasant tasks. We are a dieing breed, I've put down two over the years and cried also, but real men don't expect someone else to shoulder their responsibilities. Obama voters would not understand that concept.

To those that think the vet is painless, the one dog I have "put to sleep" screamed bloody murder when the vet stuck him. The two I put down never felt a thing. Now who is cruel?

[RKV]

Maybe I’m old school and country, but being a hunter and having butchered cows, pigs, etc., I’m missing out on why a vet had to do this. Used to be people did this for themselves. I can certainly think of a quicker and more direct way to do this (in fact several), but as sad as this is, it’s not criminal. If people knew how the beef on their plate gets there they would know that a cow gets killed in much the same way at an abattoir. Minus our war on some drugs, the guy could have done it by himself for the price of a syringe and some barbiturates - $10 max. As you’ve noted, some people just can’t handle reality.

[Mariko]

My dad grew up in rural Maine. Our childhood pets (and there were many) went, after a favorite meal, and much loving, and petting, with a bullet to the back of the head.

Striking “maybe two or three times” with the claw end (!?!) of a household hammer is not the same thing at all.

[goat granny]

You are correct it is not the same thing, but city dwellers are greatly restrained in so far as being able to humanly put down an animal....I couldn’t hit a dog with a hammer, unless it was attaching, but I don’t live in the city...Either way, if the man loved his dog, he took no joy in killing it..if he loved his dog it is truly sad.

[GladesGuru]

If the dog was unable to see the hammer because the owner covered its head, a massive blow to the cranium with a hammer would result in instant loss of consciousness.

Even at a vet’s, killing of an animal is not a totally painless, fear free process all of the time.

[GladesGuru]

The claw end would insure penetration of the cranial vault, with subsequent immediate cessation of consciousness.

[Ditter]

A friend of mine, a stupid stupid woman, when her dog became old and feeble took it out into the woods and left it. When she learned how shocked I was at her actions she said that it probably found a house out there and someone took it in.

This woman is a college graduate,the wife of a doctor.

My brother is a vet and he always gives an animal a shot to put it to sleep before he gives it the shot to put it down. Very humane, no pain.

[Leo58]

I didn’t realize the movie, “Old Yeller” was actually about animal cruelty.

[No Surrender No Retreat]

Too, bad the dog did not rip out his throat. I hope they put that sicko in a cell full of horny bubbas for some cell justice.

Molon Labe,
NSNR

[No Surrender No Retreat]

Do you also have remorse for abortion doctors as well. Maybe Obama care will give you a just ending like the poor dog received.

You are one heartless person Flash. That hammer death was cruel and unusual punishment for a dying animal.

Molon Labe,
NSNR

[Popman]

........the animal had been sick for weeks and had lost a lot of weight. It had swollen legs and had trouble walking............Berube says he did not want the animal to suffer and could not afford a veterinarian. He said he did not want to burden a shelter with the animal. It was killed last July.

I can't believe some of the comments on this thread.

The man was taking responsibility for his animal. The poor beast was suffering and he did what he had to do. A clean hammer stroke on his skull would have been quick and merciful

[cynwoody]

You’ve must have never seen a captive bolt gun in use.

Reportedly handy for blowing out brains and dead bolt locks.

From the Wikipedia:

In the penetrating type, the stunner uses a pointed bolt which is propelled by pressurized air or a blank cartridge. The bolt penetrates the skull of the animal, enters the cranium, and catastrophically damages the cerebrum and part of the cerebellum. Due to concussion, destruction of vital centres of brain and an increase in intracranial pressure, the animal loses consciousness. This method is currently the most effective and widely used type of stunning, since it physically destroys brain matter (increasing the probability of a successful stun), while also leaving the brain stem intact (thus ensuring the heart continues to beat, facilitating a successful bleed). One disadvantage of this method is that brain matter is allowed into the blood stream, possibly contaminating other tissue with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, commonly known as mad cow disease) .

The action of a non-penetrating stunner is similar, but the bolt is blunt with a mushroom-shaped tip. The bolt strikes the forehead with great force and immediately retracts. This concussion is responsible for the unconsciousness of the animal. This type of stunner is less reliable at causing immediate and permanent unconsciousness than penetrating types; however, it has undergone a resurgence of popularity due to concerns about mad cow disease. In the European Union, this captive bolt design is required for slaughter of animals that will be used for pharmaceutical manufacture.

The free bolt stunner is used for the emergency in-the-field euthanasia of large farm-animals who cannot be restrained. It differs from a true captive bolt gun in that the projectile is not retractable; it is similar in operation to a powder-actuated nail gun or conventional firearm. Capable of firing only when pressed firmly against a surface (typically the animal's forehead), the device fires a small projectile through the animal's skull. The veterinarian can then either leave the animal to expire from the projectile wound, or administer lethal drugs.

Bet you didn't need to know that.

[ronnietherocket2]

some people do have remorse for abortion doctors and pray that they will give up their evil ways and repent and accept life. try reading this about an abortion doctor who was converted. http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=14322. And persecuting and ridiculing abortion doctors would give confirmation to liberals that the person who murdered Tiller was an extreme example of the pro-life movement, not an entity separate and distinct from the mainstream pro-lifers

Also your tagline says no surrender no retreat, this implies some semblance of responsibility. This man knew his dog was in pain but he could not afford a vet, so he decided to take responsiblity himself for the dog. if you cannot understand someone taking personal responsibility well...

[hunter112]

You beat me to it. In “No Country for Old Men”, the villain uses a compressed-air device that was designed for the humane slaughter of livestock to kill his victims.

[Chickensoup]

I’ve heard of the redneck way to put your dog down with a bullet, but a hammer? There’s no mercy in that.

A bullet and a walk behind the barn has been a timehonored way to euthanize animals. Not redneck, I know judges and businessmen who did it. We did it. Animal care and vets were if not unusual, not common, and people put down their own creatures.

[Chickensoup]

Why dont they just use a bullet?