At what point do you end an animals life?

[Magnum0]

I am a bit frustrated after going to my local reptile shop the other day.
I saw in this viv with other tortoises, a larger tortoise (id say about 6" head to tail). This tortoise had a deformed shell, lumpy back legs that were pretty much locked back, lumpy front legs, a deformed mouth, and no eyes.
I asked the shop keeper what the story was with it, and he told me that it was a customers that he was looking after while they were away. He said it was a "rescue", and was obviously not cared for properly. It's obviously not the shop keepers choice to put a customers animal down, but i find the owner VERY irresponsible for not putting the thing out of it's misery. It could barely move and was obivously in a lot of pain. The person who "rescued" it (i.e probably found it advertised as needing a good home and thinking they are doing the best for it) is not helping, and if i was in the position of that tortoise, i would rather die than sit in the same place all day, unable to move or see, in pain.

At what point do you consider putting the animal out of it's misery?

[Zoo-Man]

I find it VERY irresponsible that the shop owner put this customer's tortoise in with the tortoises that were for sale!!!

[Meko]

I'm with the Zooman on this one...
but something is telling me that the customer won't be going back for it... have it put down yourself or take it to the shop for boarding and never return again so they foot the cost of it

[georgieabc123]

when there in pain and suuffering and there not a high chance of survival

[elliottreed]

yup, agreed meko
had a hamster in to "foster" while someone moved house
it was on a course of anti bios, the guy kept saying he'd come and pick it up when he was more stable, got a text to say "do you want to find a new home for it or shall i?"

i KNEW it would happen, which is why i kept pestering him until he came out with the truth, i've had to foot the bill for the vet treatment this hamster required, and she has gone from "foster" to "yeah thanks, you pay for it to get better then you can do with it what you want..."

people like that annoy me, but what can you do? diddly squat
that's what! xxx

[BeckyL]

The point where pain and suffering outweigh the potential for a comfortable and normal life.

Hearing things like this makes me wonder how any person can allow an animal to get in such a state in the first place.

[elliottreed]

people hope it will go away
and then when it doesn't they don't know what to do
so they run away from the problem and give it to someone else
people are embarrassed by themselves i would imagine
or just trying to make a hasty getaway without admitting they can't cope
or don't care

[BecciBoo]

I think when the animal is suffering. But owners can sometimes be selfish and not see that their animal is suffering...I see it all the time working as a vet nurse, animals are kept barely alive in oxygen tents, permanently sedated because the owner wants it It makes me sad.