In late September, the Des Moines Fire Department responded to an apartment fire. When the crew tried to put out the fire, firefighters found a 16-month-old mastiff locked in a burning apartment.
Before the arrival of the animal control service, firefighters began to supply oxygen to the mastiff.
Unfortunately, Animal Control has determined that there are two options for dog care: expensive treatment at the expense of the owner or euthanasia.
The family made the heartbreaking decision to shoot the dog.
My family once faced a similar situation when our dog was shot down, and life-saving operations could cost thousands of dollars.
My parents didn’t have a lot of money, and besides, there was a chance that the dog would never survive this and would suffer for the rest of his life. My parents chose euthanasia, which seemed the most compassionate (albeit terribly heartbreaking) choice in this situation.
This family had just lost everything in the fire.They probably had nowhere to live. Perhaps they didn’t even feel they had a choice to keep their puppy, given the circumstances.
However, one of the firefighters who helped save the mastiff, Malcolm Kortner, did not want to abandon the dog. He offered to pay for the dog’s treatment on one condition: he must adopt a dog.
The family agreed and handed over the care of the dog to a firefighter. They decided that it would be better for their beloved puppy to go to someone else’s house than to be euthanized. It was a heartbreaking situation and decision. Fortunately, the mastiff was able to fully recover thanks to treatment paid for by its new owner.
Kortner gave the dog the name George. It looks like both of them are fine now. I hope the family that lost George will be able to recover after the fire.
