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A woman in Virginia created controversy from the grave by asking in her will for Emma, her healthy Shih Tzu, to be euthanized and buried alongside her.
Under current Virginia law, pets are viewed as sole property of their owner and the state was forced to allow the euthanization to take place.
Emma, a healthy Shih Tzu mix, was euthanized to fulfill her late owner's dying wish that the dog be put down -- and… https://t.co/hHVKCIsjY3— CNN (@CNN)1558552805.0
Shelters begged the will's executors not to kill the healthy dog, insisting they could find a new owner for it easily.
The animal was euthanized to fulfill its late owner's wish despite protests from a shelter, which said it could hav… https://t.co/6FyiD9Uqm8— KTLA (@KTLA)1558555795.0
Carrie Jones, manager of Chesterfield Animal Services, told WWBT:
"We did suggest they could sign the dog over on numerous occasions because it's a dog we could easily find a home for and re-home. Ultimately, they came back in on March 22 and redeemed the dog."
This is horrible. I took my dad's dog to visit him in hospice a few times, but it never occurred to either of us to… https://t.co/JEfUDjTw3G— Dixie (@Dixie)1558570663.0
Emma was then taken to a nearby veterinary office where she was killed, cremated and placed in an urn alongside the body of her dead owner.
Really? That's how you show your animal your love? Killing them so you can have them put in a box with your dead bo… https://t.co/tc3LDddxkY— J.R. Rioux (@J.R. Rioux)1558572952.0
@TheTalkCBS This story just broke my heart! As a dogmom myself, I can understand not ever wanting be separated fr… https://t.co/m6ctUlvDrE— Kristie Lent (@Kristie Lent)1558561675.0
Virginia state law doesn't allow pets to be buried with their owners in commercial cemeteries, but allows the practice in privately-owned ones.
@TheTalkCBS The dog should not have been put down. We, in PA, have the same law and I'm attempting to have it chang… https://t.co/vCoHf86kXi— Lynne Hackett (@Lynne Hackett)1558548508.0
Though, legally, Virginia residents have a right to euthanize their dog at their own discretion, many veterinarians refuse to do so on ethical grounds.
@TheTalkCBS Thats a hard question to answer i love my dog and i would prefer him be with someone that would take go… https://t.co/RA3ZJeqmZF— Rose Lee (@Rose Lee)1558563898.0
@TheTalkCBS Seems bizarre but maybe she didn’t think she could trust anyone to take care of the dog or maybe she di… https://t.co/zxD8ymCIFo— Trisha Jondle (@Trisha Jondle)1558542283.0
Twitter was outraged at the late woman's wish to have her dog killed.
@TheTalkCBS The outrage is interesting tho given the number of healthy young animals euthanized , left homeless at… https://t.co/YEsoYEAV58— Mary Miller🦍🐵🐷🐸🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘 (@Mary Miller🦍🐵🐷🐸🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘)1558569175.0
@TheTalkCBS That’s one of the two having a peaceful burial knowing that nobody can harm the dog!!! She obviously di… https://t.co/3yLbuOJ94b— Lauri (@Lauri)1558543820.0
Many felt Virginia's laws needed to be changed ASAP.
@TheTalkCBS I am opposed to euthanizing a pet just so that it can be buried with you. I am, however, against chang… https://t.co/sgCtDV3dG2— Victoria A. Harper (@Victoria A. Harper)1558571127.0
Not sure what I think about this. A healthy dog euthanized so that it could be buried with its owner. I am as bon… https://t.co/V9dZEw2hgq— Chuck Bell (@Chuck Bell)1558531554.0
@ChuckBell4 I couldn't agree with you more @ChuckBell4 . at the risk of speaking ill of the deceased, this sounds… https://t.co/KumJ9PniHZ— nickie denick (@nickie denick)1558531978.0
Though there were some who said they understood where the deceased woman was coming from, most people agreed killing a perfectly healthy dog to fulfill a dead woman's request was a horrible decision.
Interesting. What are YOUR thoughts about this?? Healthy dog euthanized to fulfill late owner’s wish of burial wi… https://t.co/MCYhaPOkqe— Amy Lutz (@Amy Lutz)1558519761.0
@AmyFox43 Amy, I'm really torn on this. Presumably, this woman really loved her dog (and was in sound mind!) but th… https://t.co/cmaCBYXZgm— Gregory Pike (@Gregory Pike)1558530106.0
@AmyFox43 I understand the owner’s symbolic desire of love for her pet, but extinguishing a life of a perfectly hea… https://t.co/D2RsKm3EDc— Robb Tucker (@Robb Tucker)1558520994.0
The woman who requested her own dog be killed didn't do this alone.
@APSouthRegion The veterinarian that perfomed the euthanasia should lose any right to practice. It is unethical to… https://t.co/ipfFDYgNa5— John Bolton's Intrepid Moustache (@John Bolton's Intrepid Moustache)1558579890.0
@RedKarlJ @APSouthRegion Nothing but selfishness. That dog likely had years left, should have had it buried with he… https://t.co/1FrGYleiBq— Stephen Robinson ⚡ (@Stephen Robinson ⚡)1558600305.0
RIP Emma.
Hopefully you'll find humans who wish the best for you, not themselves, on the other side.