This Man Killed His Dog To End Her Suffering From A Heartbreaking Disease And Now Faces Prison

In February, Michael Whalen, from Virginia Beach, Virginia, decided to end the suffering of his beloved dog, Allie, by shooting her in the head.

A nightmare situation for many of us was reality for Michael Whalen.Publié par The Virginian-Pilot sur vendredi 24 mars 2017

Last year, the 65-year-old man sadly discovered that his beloved companion, who he's shared his life with for 15 years, was suffering from Cushing syndrome, a disease provoked by the excess of the hormone Cortisol. This illness typically affects dogs older than 10 years and is most often found in smaller breeds like Poodles or Daschunds.

A dog owner who is facing animal cruelty charges for fatally shooting his dog in February is now speaking out about his decision to kill the pet, explaining that it was an act of love — not a crime.Publié par CBS 58 sur vendredi 24 mars 2017

The prognostic didn't look good, and the veterinarian recommended that Michael euthanize his dog. Incapable of bringing himself to do so, he explained:

Allie was not ready. I was not ready. She was still having fun. She wasn’t in ill health.

Michael Whalen said Allie was diagnosed with Cushing's disease more than a year ago.Publié par WTVR CBS 6 News sur vendredi 24 mars 2017

Michael spent an enormous amount of money on medicine in an attempt to improve Allie's quality of life. He had a very special bond with the adorable pooch:

We did everything together. She went everywhere with me. I even took her on a vacation trip one time on my motorcycle.

But sadly, in February, the dog's health rapidly declined. When Michael was walking with her on the beach very early one morning, she started to have seizures, leaving her human feeling helpless. For Michael, it had become obvious that, "she was not coming out of this."Incapable of stabilizing Allie enough to take her to the hospital, he found himself 30 minutes from home, in the middle of the night, Michael made the decision which, today, has him accused of animal cruelty. He took his small pistol which he had on him and fired a bullet into Allie's head.

^{Source: Michael Whalen}

The American told the news site WTKR:

It was so emotionally disturbing. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to go through this in my mind and sometimes I’ll just start crying.

After killing Allie, Michael buried her on the beach before sunrise. He explained:

I had picked out a place for her. She loved the ocean. She loved the beach. 

^{Source: Michael Whalen}

Allie's body was found by a passerby, Tim Saunders, a few days later. Quickly identified as the dog's owner, Michael Whalen will have to deal with the consequences of his acts. He risks a fine between $200 and $1100 and a prison sentence between six months to a year. The man's lawyer, George Yate, attempted to justify his client's behavior:

We feel that he did what a pet owner is required to do. Take care of their animal and when their animal is suffering to properly euthanize the animal.

The judgement will be given on June 26.

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