Agree with this wholeheartedly.

Have to say I wouldn't like the idea of putting down healthy pups, no matter how hard I'd try and be level headed i'd really let my personal feelings cloud my judgement, but I tend to lean to aborting speys. Interestingly enough I was chatting with my grandmother about something similar over lunch recently, about "back in the days" when it was common practise to drown unplanned/unwanted kittens and puppies..something we totally abhor the idea of now, and rightly so, yet was common practise before? She's a massive animal lover, always surrounded herself with siamese which she occasionally bred but she said that with any unplanned litter of pups or kittens it was commonplace to "deal" with the problem by culling, or as she often did with moggy cats as she realised there had to be a balance but speying just wasn't a factor of lif eback then, leave woth only one kitten. And I get the concept this was common practise with bitches too, aswell as overall culling. Not a nice subject n slightly off topic, but it does give food for thought that back in the more "head ruling heart" days we didn't seem to have such a problem as we do now, maybe?

If it is early enough then the litter should definately be terminated and the bitch spayed.

If it is too late for a termination - then the rescue should do it's best in raising the litter of puppies. BUT if the bitch has been used for fighting or is aggressive then I hope they would destroy the litter at birth. To me it would not be fair to rehome a puppy which has a good chance of being aggressive.

My friends rescued a Staffie pup from a rescue - the litter had been dumped so parentage was not known. At a year old it is already dog aggressive despite them getting loads of help and advice, and being experienced Staffie owners.

Is being dog-aggressive (or the risk of being dog-aggressive) sufficient justification to kill a dog?

I would say not,however I can understand rescue's that do pts a dog which is DA,perhaps alot of rescue's feel they just can't take the risk and I do feel that they are harder to home.

Yes. I would rather the pups were PTS, than the adults that are put to sleep for lack of homes.

Whose to say the pups after homing won't continue the rescue cycle.

ideally of course the pregnancy is terminated by injection or spaying.

There is also the bitches welfare, she will have to stay in rescue until her pups are reared, it may well be more of a strain than she can afford if not in great shape when brought in, and rearing her pups in a strange environment will be stressful and her anxiety will not be good for the puppies mental development.

It isnt the other way round, they should help the bitch yes, not unborn puppies that WILL drain resources and cost a massive amount to raise correctly, plus the fact they are of unknown breeding (most) so how on earth suitable homes will be found god only knows, because apart from their mother who may well NOT be demonstrating her true temperament at that time in a strange place etc.. how could they know what they are likely to be like?

Too many puppies born and raised.

For many rescues yes it is, its a liability and risk they cannot afford to take, like Battersea for example.

People who want a puppy and not an adult dog, if none in rescue will go elsewhere to get one (breeder/private rehome ect). So really adult dogs will still be PTS regardless due to lack of homes as not everyone wants an adult dog. Who's to say the adults are more 'worthy' to live than the pups? If the pups have a chance of finding a home why should they be killed instead of having that chance?

To those who condemn the rescues that "kill"new born puppies because they are"healthy"-Can youadvise me how you know these puppies are healthy if the background of the bitch & sire are unknown ??? No health tests done most of the time the sire is unknown, so how can you state the puppies are healthy ?? They could be brother/sister, mum/son etc

Sorry but I do support those who make the very hard decisions. The last but one bitch that was handed over(along with the father of the litter)that whelped had 4 puppies born with cleft palates, others grew up to have HD & the last of the litter died a week ago aged only 9 having been returned to the rescue after 7 years when the owners could no longer keep her(they when into sheltered housing due to ill health)She remained in the rescue for the last 2 1/2 as 7 year old GSDs are almost impossible to find homes for