Obedience training, increased exercise, and behavioral modification techniques recommended by a local animal behavior authority were ineffective in alter-.
VEIrERINARY MEDICAL ETHICS
EONTOLOGIE VETERINAIRE
I&
Ethical question of the month June 1994 Question de deontologie du mois juin 1994 A veterinary technology program obtains stray dogs and cats for teaching purposes. At the end of the school year, the animals are adopted by students, staff, or local residents. This year, a purebred Siberian husky in the teaching program bit students on two separate occasions. On both occasions the attacks were unprovoked. The bite wounds were not serious. Obedience training, increased exercise, and behavioral modification techniques recommended by a local animal behavior authority were ineffective in altering the dog's behavior. The dog was to be euthanized, when a student found a couple living on a farm who were looking for a watchdog. The couple have no children and are fairly isolated. Should the dog be given to them for adoption or should it be
destroyed?
Comments I don't believe that this dog should be given to this couple, one reason being that the dog appears to have an unpredictable nature, almost a fear biter of sorts that bites when it may be threatened. A dog like this does not make a good watchdog. A watchdog should be a confident animal that has been trained for the job. Obedience classes did not help in this animal's case, indicating that the problem is not easily cured or curable at all. There are plenty of other good-natured, intelligent dogs that may be more suitable for this couple, and it is simply not worth the risk of their being bitten. Despite the fact that their farm is quite isolated, they may on occasion receive visitors and having this dog would present a risk to their safety as well. Valerie Smid, Ste. Anne, Manitoba
An ethicist's commentary on the case of whether a biting dog should be adopted out or destroyed
Des chiens et des chats errants sont requs dans le cadre d'un programme de technologie veterinaire, 'a des fins pedagogiques. Au terme du programme, les animaux sont adoptes par des etudiants, le personnel ou des habitants de la region. Parmi les animaux se trouvait cette annee-la un Siberian Husky de race pure, qui a mordu des etudiants 'a deux reprises. Dans les deux cas, les attaques du chien restaient sans motif. Les morsures n'etaient pas serieuses. Le dressage, un exercice accru, ainsi que des techniques de transformation du comportement appliquees au chien sur les recommandations d'une autorite locale en matiere de traitement du comportement animal sont restes sans effet sur les reactions du chien. L'animal allait etre
detruit, lorsqu'un etudiant declare qu'il connalt un couple proprietaire d'une ferme a la recherche d'un chien de garde. Le couple est sans enfant et vit assez isole. Le chien devrait-il etre adopte par ce couple ou doit-on mettre fin 'a sa vie ? are not. What do they mean by a watchdog? Will the dog be confined? Will it live indoors or outdoors? Let us assume that the dog's aggression is incomprehensible, not predictable, and not organically based (i.e., there is no discernable lesion). In other words, we are dealing with an animal that will apparently bite at random. Let us further assume that the dog is a reasonable watchdog, or else the couple would not consider adopting it. Since the farm is isolated, the major questions are whether they are prepared to deal with this sort of animal and how they plan to do so. If their answers suggest that they are familiar with such animals, for example, by having owned them before, one's concerns are mitigated. By the same token, if they plan to keep the animal confined in a yard, in the house, or on a chain, they have reasonably planned for protecting the innocent. Since the animal is healthy, such a life is better than no life, as far as it is concerned. Since the people know enough to understand the risks they are taking, and are prepared to do so, they should be allowed to choose. The only question remaining is one of liability. The school providing the animal needs some assurance that it will not be sued if later the dog bites someone else. I would ask the couple to sign such an affirmation, detailing their cognizance of the risks and dangers involved. I do not know whether such a document would ultimately protect the institution from a lawsuit, but one cannot live and make decisions based largely on the fear of being sued. I thank M.L. Kesel, DVM for dialogue on this case.
There are too many unknowns to make a reasonable judgement based on the description of case. For example: Were the attacks on the students genuinely unprovoked, or did the students, perhaps unwittingly, release aggression by something they did, for example, palpating something painful or unknowingly taking a threatening posture? What is the source of the dog's aggression fear, dominance, or something else? Are the people who are considering taking the dog knowledgeable or naive about dog behavior? Is the dog, in fact, Bernard E. Rollin, PhD potentially a good watchdog? Siberian huskies generally 598
Can Can Vet Vet JJ Volume Volume 35,
October 1994 35, October 1994
Ethical question of the month - October 1994 Question de deontologle du mois octobre 1994 Responses to the case presented are welcome. Please limit your reply to approximately 50 words and mail along with your name and address to: Ethical Choices, clo Dr. Tim Blackwell, Animal Industry Branch, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Wellington Place, R.R. 1, Fergus, Ontario NlM 2W3; telephone: (519) 846-0965; fax: (519) 846-8101. Suggested ethical questions of the month also welcome! Les reponses au cas presente sont les bienvenues. Pri6re de limiter votre reponse a environ 50 mots et de nous la faire parvenir par la poste avec votre nom et adresse a: Choix deontologiques, a.s. Dr Tim Blackwell, Direction des productions animales, Ministere de l'agriculture et l'alimentation de l'Ontario, R.R. 1, Fergus (Ontario) NlM 2W3; telephone: (519) 846-0965; telecopieur: (519) 846-8101. Les soumissions des questions en e'thique sont toujours bienvenues!
Should animals which have been treated for, recovered from, or are suspected of having heavy metal ingestion/toxicosis be slaughtered for human consumption? (Submitted by Dr. Melanie Roth, Steinbach, Manitoba).
Les animaux ayant ete trait6s pour, ayant gu6ri de, ou susceptibles de souffrir d'ingestion de metal lourd ou de toxicose devraient-ils etre destines a la consommation humaine? (Soumis par Dr Melanie Roth, Steinbach, Manitoba).
Yes/Oui No/Non
Comments/Commentaires:
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Coronavirus Infections in the Laboratory Rat: Degree of Cross Protection Following Immunization with a Heterologous Strain C.G.D. Bihun and D.H. Percy
Direct Radioimmunoassay of Progesterone in Bovine Plasma using Danzol (1 7-a-2,4-pregnadien-20-yno(2,3-d) isoxazol-17-ol) as a Displacing Agent P.D. Carriere and B. Lee Watch for the table of contents of the October 1994 issue of the Canadian Journal of Veterinary Research in a future issue of the CVJ!/La table des matibres du numero d'octobre 1994 de la Revue canadienne de recherche veterinaire paraftra dans un prochain num6ro de la Revue!
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