[pdonis]

> Entirely within their rights to do

Legally, you are correct, they are the owners and the dog is at their mercy. But I feel sorry for the dog who is at the mercy of these people.

> plenty of folks would argue they would be irresponsible and abusive to their kid to not do it

The irresponsibility was theirs, for not handling the situation properly when they brought a kid into their home where the dog had already been for, by my count, three years.

To make the dog pay with his life for their irresponsibility does not strike me as a good choice.

If they can't handle having the dog in the house, and don't have a friend or neighbor who will take him, they can take him to a shelter who will find him another home. He would still be paying for their irresponsibility, but at least he would get a chance to be with better people.