Lost Dogs Home made the decision this week to euthanize Murphy – a healthy 24 week old Staffordshire-cross puppy. This unprecedented move has caused alarm and outrage by animal welfare activists across the country. Murphy’s tragic fate, along with that of his mother, has raised serious questions about the shelter’s behavioral assessment practices and the ethical implications of euthanizing healthy animals.
Murphy came to the Lost Dogs Home with his siblings, Milly and another unnamed puppy. All four were saved with their mom. First entered into a foster home, Murphy soon found himself back at the shelter after the usual two week foster period. Even though Toby was in great health, the determination of his fate fell on behavioral assessments used by the shelter and he was euthanized. This decision has encountered extreme backlash from all sides, even from Animal Justice Party’s Georgie Purcell, Victoria’s Animal Justice Party MP.
Murphy’s death was finally confirmed in an email to Purcell from the shelter, after delaying months for an update. Purcell shared her disappointment over the lack of communication about Murphy’s well-being, which had been promised.
“They refused to give us answers, or let us know if he was even still alive,” – Georgie Purcell.
Purcell spoke about how she learned of Murphy’s fate. It took her 12 hours of dogged follow-up questioning with both him and his foster parents to reconstruct the story.
“This morning in an email, after 12 hours of us and his foster carers following up on his welfare, the Lost Dogs Home confirmed to us that Murphy is dead — along with his mother,” – Georgie Purcell.
Mother Murphy’s mother had been euthanized shortly before Murphy himself was, after showing aggression to another dog. The shelter cited her “consistent high levels of stress and anxiety” as a contributing factor to the decision to euthanize. Yet this decision has caused Purcell, along with the shelter’s behavioral enrichment officer, to call into question the efficacy of the behavioral tests utilized by the shelter.
“Scary shelter setting should never be an indicator of an animal’s behaviour or personality,” – Georgie Purcell.
While in foster care, Murphy’s unnamed sibling had previously killed a kitten. This incident left many worried about how the puppies would turn out. Even after these incidents, this foster couple was committed to adopting Murphy. Through luck, pleading, and special consideration, they begged the shelter for a second chance.
“On Thursday the 25th [of September] your staff called me in the middle of my work day saying he was to be euthanised. I told them they had it wrong and they seemed relieved,” – Foster couple.
The shelter told it needed to euthanize Murphy based on a combination of third-party behavioral assessments and the behavioral judgment that he was not adoptable. Despite their attempts to present his prospects of a warm, loving home, their mind was made up.
“[The decision] was based on multiple sources of information on an ongoing basis and clear behavioural indicators that made him unsuitable for rehoming … Murphy’s case is exceptional and rare,” – The Lost Dogs Home statement.
The Lost Dogs Home has always stood by its practice, pointing to its focus on public safety and animal welfare. A spokesperson said that when making those decisions, they take the burden of ownership to society into account.
“We have to look at the burden owning that dog will place on society and we’re looking at the welfare of that dog. Do we want to burden that dog with being fearful its entire life? It’s a welfare question. The decision has been made with all of those really complex things in mind,” – The Lost Dogs Home spokesperson.
The shelter rescues about 18,000 animals a year. All dedicated to getting every animal possible out the positive door as quickly and kindly as possible. Critics say the situation that led to Murphy’s case is a prime example of deep, systemic issues in the assessment process.
“We understand the distress it may cause, but our priority must always be public safety,” – The Lost Dogs Home statement.
Under the Victorian government’s Code of Practice, it is permissible to euthanize animals that are otherwise healthy if they fail behavior tests. Advocates are looking closely at the separate regulatory framework to which the taxis are subject. They advocate for better standards for shelters when determining if pets are adoptable.
Tempers are flaring in reaction to all of this. People around the country are asking why on earth Murphy was euthanized only hours after his foster parents pleaded with the shelter to give him another chance.
“Why was Murphy killed within hours, as his distraught foster carers begged to give him a second chance?” – Georgie Purcell.
