In 2018, a truly heartbreaking story surfaced and shocked dog lovers all over the world. Many people consider their dogs to be family members, but not all of them appear to think that way.

Abandoning your pet is cruel, but having your two dogs (very happy and healthy dogs) euthanized because of a mere inconvenience is a whole new level of cruelty.

They Lived With Him For 10 Years

In June 2018, a man from Indiana, USA, brought his two dogs (Cosmo and Sam) to his local vet clinic and asked to have them euthanized.

Cosmo was a small Labrador Retriever mix and Sam was a Pointer, and they were a bonded pair of senior dogs.

The two dogs were very sweet, happy, and healthy, and they had lived with their owner for almost 10 years prior to this horrible situation.

Their owner wanted to have them euthanized because he was moving in with his girlfriend, who was allergic to dogs, and they did not consider them to be a necessary part of their life anymore, according to the rescue.

So, instead of finding a way or even going to a shelter and surrendering the dogs, he thought “convenience euthanasia” was the right solution.

Convenience euthanasia refers to requests to end the life of an animal because they no longer fit in the owner’s lifestyle. ^[1] 

Thankfully, the vet refused to euthanize Cosmo and Sam because they were perfectly healthy and did not deserve to die like that. “None of us want to end a pet’s life unless it is to prevent suffering,” the vet said.

The two dogs were sent to Begin Again Rescue Co (BARC), a foster-based and non-profit dog rescue located in Valparaiso, Indiana.

Cosmo And Sam Found Their Forever Home

It took some time for Cosmo and Sam to get over the heartbreak of being abandoned, but with the help of the wonderful volunteers at BARC, they started to eat again, play, and be themselves.

However, finding a forever home for a bonded pair of senior dogs wasn’t easy, although they still had a lot of life left in them.

After a couple of months of not finding a home, Cosmo and Sam went to P.A.W.S. Tinley Park, a no-kill animal shelter in Illinois, USA, that offered to help.

It usually takes a lot longer for senior dogs to get adopted, but thankfully, Cosmo and Sam did find a home in the beginning of December 2018. 

They were adopted by Eric and Tiffany Dybas, a couple that had recently lost their beloved dog and had fallen in love with Cosmo and Sam when they heard their story.

“Thanks to our friends at P.A.W.S. Tinley Park, Sam and Cosmo are laying on a comfy couch tonight! They were so good when they visited Santa and now their Christmas wish came true! They have a home!,” said in the Facebook post by BARC.

According to the shelter, the two beautiful boys are very happy at their new home, being spoiled and loved to the fullest.

References: 
[1] Cooney, K. A., & Kipperman, B. (2023). Ethical and Practical Considerations Associated with Companion Animal Euthanasia. Animals, 13(3), 430. DOI