A woman asked a vet to put her two-year-old dog down 'because it barks at people'.
Lucie Holmes, who runs Lucie's Animal Rescue in Thirsk, North Yorkshire, said she was contacted by the woman who asked if she would take in her dog Markus 'because he barks at people on bikes and at car [sic] and other dogs'.
The animal rescue centre owner had to turn the woman down because the shelter was full but she said she would contact her when a spot became available.
The woman then replied: "When will that be please?"
Advert
Before she even had time to respond, Lucie received a call from a local vet who said a woman had just come in and asked them to euthanise her dog because it barks.
"The lady told the vets she could not cope with him. I said to the vets, 'the dog isn't called Markus by any chance?' It was," Lucie told the BBC.
The mother-of-three and her husband Sean already share their home with nine other dogs and 34 kittens but they knew they couldn't leave Markus with his original owner.
So, she contacted the woman and said she'd take him in.
"It's disgusting. I have not been able to sleep much because I am still so angry. Dogs bark. It's what they do," she told the BBC.
"I told the owner there was absolutely no need for Markus to be euthanised. He needs time and training."
In an Instagram post, Lucie shared Markus' story with her followers.
"He had been owned by said owner for… five weeks," she wrote.
"He’s just settling in, learning his new environment and family, and at only two years old he will be rather overwhelmed as well as adjusting to everything new," she continued.
"Barking is how dogs communicate, and express their fears, and also excitement."
"When I asked his owner what training she had been doing with Markus to help him overcome his possible nervous behaviour, the answer was ‘he’s had none’."
Later in the post, Lucie said Markus was settling into his new home and was loving making new friends.
"Markus has been with us less than half an hour. He has sat, taken a treat very gently," she wrote.
"Has met six dogs, enjoyed a sniff and his tail hasn’t stopped wagging.
"He hasn’t barked yet."
While Lucie doesn't want to discourage people from asking for help, she hopes they will do their research and make an informed decision before getting a dog.
"You wouldn't take a toddler to nursery and expect him or her to be blissfully happy immediately," she said.
Keryn Donnelly