Vet is being praised for heroic response after pet owner brings in puppy to be put down

Pets just like us, deserve to live and Dr. Oliver Reeve understood that. That is why when a family wanted to put their dog to sleep due to birth defects, he decided to step in and do something unexpected. Thanks to him, the puppy received a second chance at life and people applauded his incredible response at such a moment. He shared on X what exactly happened with the puppy and the family.

Dr. Reeve first shared that a 7-week-old Labrador Poodle mix was brought into the clinic to be euthanized. He expressed, "Very sad. Anyway, meet my new son." In the next post on July 2, the doctor posted a picture of the puppy sleeping and he captioned it, "Update: New puppies need lots and lots of sleep." He then explained that he gave the family the option to surrender rather than go for euthanasia. "They opted for surrender, sorry that wasn't clear," he wrote.

The next day, he gave a health update on the puppy. He wrote, "Toby has been into the clinic today from the first surgery to correct his birth defects. He'll need another surgery in a few months and then he (should) be all good! He did well today. Brave little man." In the pictures that Dr. Reeve shared, the cute little dog was seen sleeping and had some medical equipment attached. 

In the same thread, he went on to say that he was not going to talk about the dog's health issues. "People are likely to be a bit judgemental about him being surrendered for the issue. The main thing is that the original owner sought veterinary care and didn't let the puppy suffer," he wrote. He continued that people should not be shared for seeking veterinary care and opting for euthanasia or surrender.

He clarified, "Vets are not the police and we don't want people to be reluctant to see us because they fear judgment. Taking a puppy to a vet and electing humane euthanasia is far better than letting the puppy suffer or dumping it - which happens. Euthanasia may not seem palatable but it is a treatment option that preserves welfare and there can be lots of reasons why it’s chosen."

People in the comments loved the veterinarian's kind gesture. @nathanawickman commented, "Happy crying. This is beautiful. Would love to hear his name when you have one. Lucky boy to have you." @rtsclement wrote, "How anyone could do that to such a beautiful dog makes me despair. Glad I don’t work in a veterinary practice - I would need a much bigger house and food budget!" @LessaCaye expressed, "He is just adorable. Bless you, for saving an innocent puppy. How cruel the people who brought him in to be put down. May they never have another pet. They do not deserve them."

Dr. Reeve before adopting Toby, already had a dog, a cat, three rabbits, and two rats as pets, per Bored Panda. The puppy weighs about 5kgs and already has become part of Dr.Reeve's family. He wrote in the comments, "My daughter wants to call him Toby, which is a solid name. 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." He also shared that he was looking forward to making the puppy's life as positive as possible. Dr. Reeve said, "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 socialization. Things have come a long way since our last puppy many years ago."