Real-Life Decision Making -- Solution
You euthanize the dog.
A compound fracture means the bone is so broken it sticks out from the skin. The dog is obviously in great pain and trauma, and its internal injuries look hopeless.
You decide to end its suffering immediately, rather than take it to a vet for futile, expensive treatment. Even if the dog could heal, it would be too old to adopt and the pound is already full.
Later that day, a family comes into the pound with an anxious little boy. He tells you his beloved St. Bernard, Bernie, wandered off that morning while he was swimming with friends near the highway. He had taken off Bernie's tags while giving him a bath in the river.
You sit the boy down and give him the news. He is heartbroken, saying he would've paid all his savings to give Bernie a chance.
You explain that the injuries were very serious and a full recovery didn't seem likely. The boy says he would've at least liked to have said goodbye. You explain Bernie was in terrible pain and you did the best thing you could for her.
"It really wears on you because it's so awful," says ACO Jen Holz. "But it's easier when you know it's the best thing you can do for an animal, to end their suffering.
"There's a lot of criteria involved in deciding what to do at the scene, but if they're hurt so badly that there's no chance of rehabilitation, you know what to do."