Animal shelter workers: How difficult is it to euthanize unwanted pets? Does it become routine?

I am asking this question for research purposes.

I don't work at a shelter but I work with a lot of shelter workers. You learn to be very matter-of-fact about it. You can't cry over every single one. But there is a high turn over among shelter employees. It's not an easy job emotionally.You'll get a better response if you call animal shelters directly and ask to speak with the director.

I dont work at a shelter but i volunteer for a rescue and we are in and out of the shelter all the time. matter offact we have grown close bonds with the officers there. Of course itis hard, but it has to be done if no one adopts, claims or picks up the naimal. It's ness. in our world. Every one that's euthanized or adopted makes a place for one more to have a chance at a better life.

I volunteer at a no kill shelter. I hate the days we have to take the unadoptable dogs to be put down. I cry the entire time. I swear they know something is up. We aren't allowed to leave the kill shelter until we know every dog is gone. I cant stand doing other peoples dirty work. You never get used to it. It's always sad to see an otherwise health animal that was just unlucky enough to get the wrong human. I HATE IT. What also upsets me is people think no kill shelters keep every dog. They dont and cant. Those that cant find homes go to kill shelters or are refused.

not a shelter worker but have had to put numerous animals down for different reason and it is no easy but you learn to distance your self and get the job done because it's best for the animal or you will be better able to help other animals better off.

I am not an animal shelter but I love animals. I volunteer to feed a group of feral cats. The group trap the cats to prevent overpopulation. I support PETA, the MSPCA, the ASPCA, etc. I think it is very difficult for them and I think they get angry at irresponsible pet owners. I am very angry at animal abusers and irresponsible pet owners. I think they should be put down, although that would be too good for abusers. But I think we should get rid of the abusers and irresponsible pet owners and work at improving the world in which we live so we see a decline in bad behavior.

I worked as an animal control officer. I had to feed my son and was a single parent...It does not become routine nor became easier each and every time D day came around. I keep thinking I',m going to hell for doing this then have to stop which was the important of the two. Down a dog or cat OR feed my child. Maybe hell will pass me by, I hope! I chose to feed my son. People need to spay/neuter animals!

I know, I wouldn't be able to do it...........I'd wind up taking them all home with me........all of them.......

thank-you St. Lady- people really do think they keep every dog- but if a dog is aggressive or unadoptable they can't. I have heard people say they would never volunteer at or support a kill-shelter- but they don't realize that is just a viscous cycle. My local shelter is a 'kill-shelter'- it's where I got my dog from. It is a county shelter and though the county pays for the animal control part- the shelter itself is entirely supported by private donations. The two men who work there (think 2 men responsible for the entire animal control of a county AND the up-to 40 dogs the shelter holds) are very good men- they love dogs and don't WANT to euthanize- but what choice do they have when the shelter is full- it is the owner's fault the dogs are euthanized- not the shelter's. If people would give them more money they would build a bigger shelter and not have to euthanize. But also- I have seen pit-mixes stay in that shelter for 4 months- is it really better for them to live the rest of their lives in a tiny pen because no one wants them? Or for them to be humanely euthanized? No-kills shelters aren't perfect- they just have better resources then kill shelters.

As a volunteer, I have assisted in euthanizing dogs for heath reasons at the no-kill shelter in my area. It is never an easy thing to watch the life drift out of an animal, and the first time I had to aid in this sort of procedure I was terribly disturbed by it. It's not something that you can become desensitized to, but you can channel your sadness and pity into something more positive. Instead of crying the whole time, like I did at first, I now attempt to focus on the animal's comfort...keeping a calm and soothing demeanor about me helps to calm the dog in this frighteningly unfamiliar situation. It's never easy, but I would rather the dog fall asleep feeling calm and loved than feeling the sadness that I am exuding.

I volunteer at a shelter that does euthanasia. Volunteers are not allowed to help with euths; however, I have worked with many of the staff who have to do it. It never becomes "routine". The staff's job is extremely stressful (and low pay) in general - hence the high turn-over in paid staff. I have a huge amount of respect for the staff people at the shelter where i volunteer.

I am a volunteer for the Humane Society.I do not actually euthanize the animals, but when Tuesday comes and it's time, I can see the stress the situation induces with the paid staff.They try to appear hardened to the situation but you can tell it bothers then. It become VERY quiet for the day.One of the staff ALWAYS brings in special food for the last meal. Some stuff you would never feed an animal. Cookies, meats, fresh fish, pasta with meat sauce, chocolate, cream.............At least they get a special treat before.Spay and nueter---it's the ONLY answer

It rips my heart out every time. You see these trusting eyes looking at you, like...."Yay! you are taking me outside, or pet/play with me".....I apologize to each and every one of them. To see their faces as you cradle them.....licking you in the face....I tell them that their job is done here and I love them. As a matter of fact, all I work with say something to that affect. To see the last wag of a tail, to hear the last purr of a life is heart wretching. Routine? I suppose.....easier.....never....

I worked at an animal shelter to help with college expenses. At first I wasn't going to euthanize and I made that very clear to my boss. After a few months though, I noticed how callous and routine the other workers were when euthanizing a dog. For example, leaving the door open to the room while administering the drug (which is a big no-no as it makes the dog's anxiety even greater and it's just disrespectufl). Also, they weren't petting and comforting the animals before and during the procedure. So I took training on how to do it. It was harder on me but so much better on the poor animals.The dogs or cats that were aggressive, sick, or elderly were not as difficult for me as the others. But sometimes they would have dogs on the list for euthanasia for STUPID reasons. A cute lab knew how to open gates and escaped a lot even from his kennel at the shelter. So they had him euthanized. A pitbull that was sweet in every way, growled during their disposition test when they pulled his ear. Had him killed. Um, hello, I would growl too if you yanked my ear, morons. So on and so forth. I 'fostered' as many as I could but I still lived with my folks so it wasn't easy. I fostered one beautiful little Queensland Heeler that had been terribly abused in her first yr of life and slowly brought her to trust people and be happy. I had finally found a home for her (she had been scheduled to be euthanized) and was so excited! But when I brought her in to the shelter for her disposition test, they pulled her tail and she growled at them. That was it, dead. I was horrified because I had to do it...she was too scared of the other employees. Another dog was brought in and she was about 2 weeks due with puppies. So she was put on the list. She was THE sweetest dog ever. I was like 'hell no!' so they said ok you take her home and foster her til she recovers but first take her to the vet to euthanize her puppies. I couldn't believe it. What?!?! I told them I couldn't be a part of that. They said it's her or her pups. OMG I had to choose. I didn't have the option of letting her have babies at my house or finding homes for them before they were born. So I had to do it. Took her to the vet and they gave her a c-section and literally pulled one baby out at a time and gave it an injection to kill it. Seriously that was over 10yrs ago and I have never wholly gotten over it. On the plus side, she did recover and found a great home.So for me, NO it NEVER got easier. But I saw how easy it was for others. I eventually had to quit because I couldn't deal with it anymore. I have a big scar across my hand from a feral cat that attacked me while I transported it. Horribly painful, got infected and all that but I still cried in my heart when it was time to put it to sleep. It never gets easier.

I would strongly recommend that you go into your local shelter and ask the employees face-to-face, instead of just through an internet message board, so you get some more great answers.I've volunteered for rescue groups for the past several years, and have walked the shelters to pull dogs. I have incredible amounts of respect for the ACOs. They not only have to deal with euthanizing perfectly healthy animals whose only sin was being born into an overpopulated world, they also have to deal with the idiot "owners" who would surrender a dog because THEY can't be bothered to train it properly. It's not the dog's fault, but the dog is the one who pays the ultimate price.I don't think it's a job that I could do. They'd arrest me the first time I took a baseball bat to someone who would rather turn in a dog than train it.

Again - there are very few people on here that I would trust are actually telling you the truth - YA is not a credible source of information - call your local shelter, set up a visit with the director, quote him/her in your research - THAT is a credible reference.

I cry. I have nightmares. The first time I held a dog while he was being euthanized I thought I was going to have a heart attack. Then I went and vomited. We don't euthanize for space. Aggression yes, terminally ill, yes. But that doesn't make it any easier. Plus, they aren't trying to bite my face off when we are euthanizing them. I've been at shelters and helped the workers. I wanted to do every part of this job. They do their jobs but most of them don't do it willingly. They are still Angels I don't care what anyone says about them. There are some bad shelter just like with anything else but for the most part, these are animal lovers...I also have to make the decision to leave dogs. I know what that means. Sometimes I am the last hope. As I said, I cry and I have nightmares After all this time, it still gets to me. But sometimes I think the way we save them is to help them out of this life. If I EVER get used to it, I'll stop doing rescue work. End of story.