ZH
IT
DE
HR
NL
FR
JA
RO
RU
ES
TR
Austrian owners tried to abandon elderly Hungarian dog, sparking national outrage
Snoopy, a lovable Hungarian dog raised in his home country, had just one “fault”: at 13 years old, he was getting on a bit and needed walks every four hours. His owners were not pleased about this and attempted to hand him over to a shelter, which refused to accept “worn-out” pets. After the rejection, many feared the worst — a heartbreaking tragedy.
Austrian owners ditch their Hungarian dog
Snoopy is a charming Bichon Havanese, bought by his Austrian owners from a Hungarian breeder, according to his microchip data. Experts describe the breed as low to medium energy, thriving on companionship. Snoopy adores children, enjoys relaxing indoors, and is perfectly content with a single daily walk. Active play sessions cover most of his exercise needs, although his coat does require regular grooming.
Born and partly raised in Hungary, the now 13-year-old dog was later taken in by an Austrian family. However, as reported by oe24.at (quoted in Blikk), the owners apparently grew tired of the “old-timer”, particularly when his routine changed from one daily walk to walks every four hours.
- Vizsla, the world-famous Hungarian dog breed
Would the Austrian owners have put him down?
They decided to “donate” him to a shelter, treating him like an unwanted object rather than a sentient being who had likely spent years happily integrated into their family. Shelter staff discovered that the owners had already acquired another dog — they simply wanted Snoopy gone.
These type of events happen more than we know. I have heard of similar situations before in Hungary. I am a dog owner and have rescued and adopted older dogs before that were strays or rescues and gave the dogs a safe and loving home until they had a serious failing health condition and then only had them euthanized on the advice of a licensed veterinarian that had taken care of the dog. Becoming a pet owner is a serious commitment. You do not discard them when they become an inconvenience. If you are unable to make a life time commitment to a pet please do not adopt one. If you love pets but cannot have a pet for whatever reason please consider donating food and care supplies to a local pet shelter or donating time to them if you could help them. Also if you are a pet owner please have your dog or cat spayed or neutered to help cut down on unwanted animals in rescue shelters.