Q: I have a dog that I love dearly but that has a neurological problem that has left him incontinent. He’s a big dog, so his accidents are of greater magnitude. I have tried several medications and doggy diapers, but none have worked for him. He eats great and his attitude is still upbeat, which makes the decision to put him down so extremely difficult for me. I hate the thought of taking his life away from him, and yet I don’t want my house to smell of urine and stool. My husband isn’t happy about the situation either, but he has been very compassionate for my sake. I have tried so very hard to keep things clean and smelling good, but it seems that half of my day is spent cleaning and washing and changing his diaper. I can’t just put him outside for the rest of his life, as the cold and heat bother his joints, and he would miss being around us. Does God have any words of comfort about this situation, any direction about how we, as our pet’s caretakers, are supposed to handle situations like this? I hate the thought of being responsible for taking his life away from him.

A: Losing a pet is never easy, especially one as valued and loved as yours.

We had a similar experience two years ago. We had a 15-year-old Welsh Corgi who was suffering in the same way your dog is now. Zoey (the Corgis name) was incontinent. In fact, she had lost the complete use of her back legs. Zoey was fitted with a doggy wheelchair, which prolonged her life by six months. But there came a point when the incontinence became a real problem, much like your dog’s situation. We consulted with the veterinarian, who said that Zoey would not get better but would get worse, and he said that infections were likely to set in, which would cause severe pain. On the advice of the vet, and after much prayer, we made the decision to do the humane thing and request that the vet put Zoey to sleep. It was very emotional and most difficult, but it was best for Zoey.

Now, we can’t make the decision about your dog for you. Your veterinarian and you are the only ones qualified to make that decision (and ultimately it will be up to you) because God has entrusted you with the responsibility to be your dog’s caretaker. The Bible says that as humans, we are to manage and care for the animals. We live in an industrial and not an agrarian society, and about the only animals we come into contact with are our pets. So, it is important that we care for them, especially as they grow old. This also includes being humane, meaning that we should not allow them to suffer.

From all you have told us, you have taken extraordinary measures to care for your dear pet, and God is honored by that. Your dog may still die on his own, or it may be your responsibility to help him in his hour of need. Either way, you won’t be taking his life from him. You will be doing what God wants you to do.

May God give you his wisdom and comfort as you deal with what needs to be done.

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Relevant Scripture

Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” (Genesis 1:26)

⁷ “Listen, my people, and I will speak; ….:
    I am God, your God. ….
¹⁰ for every animal of the forest is mine,
    and the cattle on a thousand hills.
¹¹ I know every bird in the mountains,
    and the insects in the fields are mine.” (Psalm 50: 7, 10-11)

The righteous care for the needs of their animals, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel. (Proverbs 12:10)

⁵ You have made them a little lower than the angels
    and crowned them with glory and honor.
⁶ You made them rulers over the works of your hands;
    you put everything under their feet:
⁷ all flocks and herds,
    and the animals of the wild,
⁸ the birds in the sky,
    and the fish in the sea,
    all that swim the paths of the seas. (Psalm 8:5-8)

Reference

Bible Answers 101 by Bickel & Jantz