A healthy dog was put down by a vet so it could be buried with its late owner in accordance with her will.
Emma, a Shih Tzu mix, had no health issues but explicit instructions from her owner stated she be euthanised and laid to rest with her.
After the owner died the dog, Emma, was taken to Chesterfield Animal Shelter in Virginia on March 8, WWBT reports.
Staff pleaded with the executor of the dead woman's estate for Emma to be allowed to live and be re-homed but to no avail.
“We did suggest they could sign the dog over on numerous occasions, because it’s a dog we could easily find a home for and re-home,” Carrie Jones, manager of Chesterfield Animal Services, told WWBT.
“Ultimately, they came back in on March 22 and redeemed the dog.”
The pet was taken to a vet, euthanised, cremated and then taken to a representative of her owner's estate.
Putting a pet down in circumstances is not illegal in Virginia, though some vets have ethical issues with it.
However, it is illegal for pets to be buried with their owners in commercial cemeteries there - but there are loopholes for private and family-owned plots.
The situation sparked fierce debate on social media as details emerged.
Most were outraged at the situation and one wrote: "This is horrible. I took my dad's dog to visit him in hospice a few times, but it never occurred to either of us to euthanise his dog so it could be buried with him. I found a nice lady to take him instead."
However, some defended the decision and suggested the woman might be concerned at how a new owner might treat the animal.
"Seems bizarre but maybe she didn’t think she could trust anyone to take care of the dog or maybe she didn’t think the dog would do well without her," wrote another.
