I also wish people understood that BE isn't just about the safety and well-being of the owner/s of the dog, but also the quality of life of the dog.
A dog that can't be let out of a muzzle for literally any reason without risking the life of the owner of the dog, doesn't have a good quality of life.
If a dog has to be kept inside practically 24/7 because if it gets out, it will try to attack any dogs or people it sees, doesn't have a good quality of life.
A dog that is so stressed, scared or who's neurological condition is so severe that it can't be housed with any other dogs, and can't have any person interact with it without risking the lives of all involved, does not have a good quality of life.
Not to mention, a lot of the "solutions" people give to avoid BE just aren't realistic.
"Rehome them!!" - No one is going to want to adopt a dog that has a SEVERE bite history. No one is going to want to adopt a dog that has killed other pets it's lived with, and NO ONE is going to want to adopt a dog that has almost killed a person.
"Just don't tell them the history!!" - If you rehome a pet and intentionally lie about their severe history of aggression, you are directly at fault when that dog kills someone.
"Shelters exist!!" - Owner surrenders are euthanized first. Let me repeat that OWNER SURRENDERS ARE EUTHANIZED FIRST. No, it doesn't matter that your dog is dog, kid, cat, friendly. It doesn't matter if your dog is so incredibly well-trained, that it's won gold at tournaments. SHELTERS ARE BURSTING AT THE SEAMS, a dog surrendered by its owner, doesn't have anyone looking for it, it doesn't have an owner anymore. They can't euthanize a dog that may still have an owner searching for it. So when euthanizations have to happen, dogs without owners, are the first to go, sometimes they're even euthanized the same day.
So let's think about this, if well-behaved, friendly, well-trained, sweet and loving dogs that are surrendered to a shelter are euthanized the same day they're surrendered, what makes you think they're going to keep a dangerous, unpredictable, violent dog that can't be roomed with another dog without killing it.
"What about no-kill shelters!?" - No kill shelters have finite space, so even if we were talking about a well-behaved dog, they can't accept every single pet that comes in. They just don't have the space. Now include the fact that this dog is dangerous to both the other animals in this shelter's care, but also all the volunteer's that work in the shelter, there's no way they're bringing that dog in.
"There's someone out there who can take care of the dog!!" - Yes but actually no. There are people out there who are far more equipped to deal with a dog with harmful, or troublesome behavior. However, I can almost guarantee you, there aren't enough to go around, and again EVEN IF there were, we're still back at the original problem. What kind of quality of life does an animal have that can't be let outside, can't be played with, can't be unmuzzled, and is CONSTANTLY so stressed or afraid that it sees EVERYONE as a threat, and lashes out as a result.
The fact of the matter is, sadly, not all dogs, not all pets can be saved, and sometimes attempting to save a dog, does far more harm than euthanizing it.
It's sad, it sucks, it's awful, but it's life. I really do wish we lived in a world where behavioral euthanasia wasn't ever needed, that all dogs could live out their days in a warm, loving house with full bellies and lots of room to run around and play in. But that's not the world we live in.
