To want to euthanize my FIL's dog?

[olebiscuitbarrel]

It's a 15 year old border collie which was run over 7 years ago and therefore has terrible arthritis in her legs. (The operation required shaving down the bones and she hasn't walked properly since. She needed a lot of hydrotherapy and at the time it happpend the vet was 50/50 on whether she should be put down).

She's on constant painkillers and a few weeks ago got an infection from which she hasn't recovered. One foreleg is almost down to the bone and needs daily bandaging.

She can no longer go on walks, can't get up, wets herself constantly and is clearly permanently distressed & irritated. She's been growling and snapping at the D.C. if they walk too near her.

MIL is fed up. 2 vets have told FIL she should be put down including the one who has known her since she was a puppy.

FIL refuses to entertain it & hopes she is going to get better, despite the fact that the vet said she had muscle wastage which she won't recover.

I am a dog lover and it's making me really angry. I brought it up with him tonight and he refused to talk about it, saying he doesn't want to think about it & she'll hopefully get better.

The dog can't get up unassisted, she barks all the time to try & alert them to what she wants, FIL is grumpy with the DC, including my 2 year old DS & soothed the dog when she snapped at him & told him off (though he'd done nothing) & the situation is giving me the rage.

MIL can't drive & they live in a v rural place where the vet won't travel & she wouldn't put the dog down behind his back. I guess there's nothing that can be done?

Sorry but I would just walk in, take the dog and leave to get it put down. Don't even speak to them. If he can't be kind enough to put the dog out of its misery, then do it for him. Absolutely hate it when people let an animal suffer because they can't deal with the death. It's a beyond cruel thing to do.

I think your MIL (or you) need to try to convey to your FIL, that actually he is putting HIMSELF before everything, including his dog.

Very very very very very much this!

You absolutely CANNOT "kill his dog" (which is how he'll likely see it) for him. It MUST be HIS decision - unless you want to make him resent you and utterly shatter your relationship forever.

The best thing you can do is make it very clear to him how badly the dog is suffering, and how selfish it is of him - and thoughtless wrt the dog - keeping the poor thing alive in such misery. With as much sympathy as you can muster, of course. He really does need to understand that the poor dog is suffering, and he can put an end to that for her.