Vet praised for response after owner brings seven-week old puppy to be euthanised

A heartbroken vet asked to put down a seven week-old Labrador puppy has shared his incredible response to the owners - and admitted the dog was now ‘his new son’.

Veterinary surgeon Dr Oliver Reeve was shocked when the owners brought in Toby. The Labrador puppy weighed just 5KG and was so young he should never have been removed from his mother.

Instead the owners carried him in to see Dr Reeve and asked that he be put to sleep.

The vet refused to say why the family had made the heartbreaking request - but he did share his amazing response.

Posting a photo of the Labrador-Poodle mix on twitter he said: "A seven-week-old puppy got brought into the clinic to be euthanised tonight. Very sad. Anyway, meet my new son."

Revealing only that the family’s situation was “complicated”, he said he had offered them an alternative to euthanasia which, happily for Toby, they accepted, reports Belfast Live.

He said: "I gave them the option of surrendering the puppy rather than euthanasia,” he said. “They opted for surrender. Probably best if I don’t discuss it. These situations are always more complicated than they can initially appear on the surface. Everyone’s journey is different."

Toby has now been taken in by Dr Reeve’s family and has quickly settled in.

"My daughter wants to call him Toby, which is a solid name,” he said. “We’ll see if it fits. Pet names depend a lot on if my wife has had a really difficult child by the same name in her class, then we can’t use that name.

"I’m now having anxiety about making sure his puppy life is as positive and rich as can be and then trying to make a big plan for his socialisation. Things have come a long way since our last puppy many years ago."

The post prompted a huge response on X/Twitter, with one use sharing a similar story, writing: "Well done Oliver. I had a one-week-old Staffy presented for euthanasia because of a deformed right front leg. She's two-years-old now and rockets around her Mum's house."

Another user responded: "I worked at an animal hospital as a temp many years ago. First day - abandoned kitten out the back. She came home with me and I still have her."

And the life-saving actions of the vet earned him plenty of praise, with one user writing: "Happy crying. This is beautiful. Would love to hear his name when you have one. Lucky boy to have you."

Another said: "Is he a golden doodle? He’s beautiful."

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