Former Reform MP Rupert Lowe stunned fellow Parliamentarians by revealing he had his elderly Labrador shot with a rifle.
Mr Lowe said he asked his gamekeeper to shoot the 17-year-old dog in the back of the head at his Gloucestershire estate, leaving MPs visibly shocked.
He said the dog, Cromwell, was so infirm he could no longer use his back legs and he decided to take action after noticing the animal's extreme suffering, The Mail On Sunday reports.
Speaking to the newspaper, Mr Lowe insisted his actions were humane as dogs can sense something is wrong then they visit a vet and often panic.
He said: "My keeper shot our dog the other day. He was a Labrador of 17. Dogs do go through ups and downs for a bit, but in the end Cromwell’s back legs went and our keeper Kevin very kindly did the job.
"Cromwell didn’t go anywhere, he wasn’t away from home and he wouldn’t have known anything about it. So much kinder. They are not driven to the vet, they don’t smell the vet, it’s just all over very quickly."
Mr Lowe said he couldn't bear the thought of shooting the dog himself and so left the responsibility to his gamekeeper.
He added: "I would find it difficult, which is why my keeper did it. So you can call me a coward on that basis, if you want.
"I’ve got friends who can shoot their dogs. [They] just take them on a walk, put a shooting rifle at the back of their head and bang, done. They don’t feel anything. I would have found it hard. He was 17 and had been with us that long.
"I would be proud to tell you it was me who did it, [but] I can’t claim that credit."
After the deed was done, Mr Lowe said he buried Cromwell by his tennis court near his previous pets and raised a toast to him.
Mr Lowe discussed the matter openly with colleagues in Westminster, explaining he thought taking the dog to the vet would be "cruel" and instead took decisive action.
But his admission divided opinion. Many MPs reportedly see the issue as a cultural divide between town and country attitudes, with urban dwellers more likely to be offended at this method of putting animals down.
An insider said: "For weeks, it was going around the Commons like wildfire that Rupert had shot his dog. Colleagues were appalled and upset, with most thinking it was a cruel way to behave."
One MP described it as "an 'old money' thing to do" which would have been acceptable "100 years ago".
Elizabeth Davenport, campaign manager at Animal Aid, said: ‘It highlights a serious failing of animal protection in the UK.
"There is currently no legislation that protects dogs from this kind of “at home” euthanasia – or indeed many other concerning practices.
"Legislation that does exist, such as the Animal Welfare Act 2006, only protects animals from “unnecessary” harm but allows individuals – who may have no prior knowledge or experience of animal health and welfare – to decide what is or is not necessary."
