Many of you think I'm "mean.'' Here's my point of view....

[SundownWaterfowl]

Quote:
you are totally right!

 

[ChickenToes]

I do agree with the OP, I really do. My best friend grew up on a farm and people were always dumping their dogs and cats off in their fields, leaving my friend's family having to call the animal shelter.

But I also agree with DuckyBoys - it's not always that cut and dry. What if you are in the military and suddenly get deployed? It happens. What if your home gets foreclosed? That happens too. Sometimes people have no choice but to give up a beloved pet. Just because someone has to give up a pet does not make them a horrible person. Sometimes you have to do things you would rather not do.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[buck-wild-chick]

I think if a person has the heart to take a dog to a shelter were normally the dog stay's in a kennel a month or two maby three. untill it gets the pink stuff, im sorry but if you have the b**** to do that to your animal, They should never have animals again. People are abondning animals every day. Leaving them in locked houses to starve. or dumping them on highways.
My point is DONT get a animals if your not going to be capable of providing for it through there life time.
(this is NOT focused to anyone) just a general statement...

 

[texasreb]

Why in the world would someone get a pet if they were in the military? This just blows my mind. The military is a fine and noble experience and if you make it your career, I salute you (truly). By the same token, why get a pet if you've made the choice to be in the military? I don't get it.

If your house is in danger of being foreclosed, this should come as no surprise to you--You know you haven't made your payments in months. Why get a pet if you can't afford a house? I don't get it.

If life does truly throw you a curve ball (it happens): Make accommodations.

Even serious illnesses very rarely sneak up on people.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Quote:
You are so right!

 

[ole-crone]

I don't have the time tonight to read the entire thread but I can think of another -

Just because I live in farm country, don't assume that you can dump your animal here. Or just because you heard that I have some cats, or chickens or whatever - that I want more.

We have had another cat dumped in our yard a couple of weeks so. Sick of course. Other than that, you can tell he was a cared for pet at one time. I don't need to become the neighborhood catlady.

 

[PotterWatch]

I perhaps have a different take on this having recently returned an animal to a shelter. I have a 6yo son who is allergic to some animals including some dogs. There are dogs he doesn't have a problem with, but others make him break out in hives and have breathing problems. Case in point, a dog we adopted from a local shelter several months ago. We tried our best to have him around the dog before we adopted it, it licked him, rubbed on him, everything. The shelter is very busy and we weren't allowed to tie up one of their workers for an hour just to spend time with this one dog (I totally understand why our visit had to be that short). We took the dog home, took her on a long walk that night and she was an absolute joy, very well mannered and great with our chickens and other dog. The next morning my son was playing with her and broke out in hives that covered just about his entire body (we had given her a bath the night before with the same shampoo we use on our other dog). We knew as soon as that happened that we wouldn't be able to keep that sweet girl. I called the shelter as soon as they were open to let them know and I was treated like the scum of the earth. The woman on the phone berated me for "giving up" on the dog so quickly and informed me that dogs aren't like a pair of shoes. I was incredibly upset. I wasn't happy about returning the dog, but given the medical issue it was causing, I had no choice. I will not put a dog above the health of my child.

We did return that dog with many tears and wrote a letter for them to show potential adopters about what a wonderful dog she was. Several weeks later and after spending more time with her, we did end up adopting a different dog and have had no problems with my son being allergic to her (we adopted a puppy this time on the advice of my son's allergist).

As far as taking a pet to a shelter, I would much rather have a person turn their animal into a shelter where it will be humanely treated for whatever time it gets than to be dumped on the roadside somewhere to slowly starve. The shelter we adopted both of our dogs from even has a clause in the adoption contract that if you are unable to keep the animal for any reason, at any time, you are required to return the animal to the shelter. You are not allowed to find the animal a new home on your own.

I do think that people abandon animals for frivolous and selfish reasons, but I also think it is a shame for everyone to be treated as if they are a horrible person for turning an animal into a shelter. Not everyone lies about their reasons.

Just my $.02.

 

[Akane]

If you are of an age or stage in life where you are likely move, go to college, get married, have kids, etc, etc. why don't you think about these things BEFORE getting a pet? Why is that so hard? Don't get an animal if you aren't going to "be available" for it's entire life.

Some animals will live 10-20years or in the case of horses sometimes up to 30. You can't foresee everything. Even just with my dog I never planned to go back to college or be out of work. Yet a year after I got her I find myself without a job and signing up for a loan so I can go back to college for a different degree. Now I'm not giving up my dog. I've made plans for someone to watch her during the day but some people might not be able to do that. I have trouble planning where my life will be next month much less 10years. While I have still managed to take care of countless animals through their lifespans there have been one or 2 I've had to give up to someone else because despite research it turned out I couldn't care for them well enough or something happened to change the situation. I also had to find homes for 5 horses one of which was a decendent of my own mare because I can't pay for them all right now. I couldn't foresee the economy going downhill, the drought leading to hay shortages, the near doubling of gas prices, or the ending of horse slaughter.

I think it's far better to judge a person's character and how much they really care about the animal by how much effort they put into trying to take care of it even when trouble comes up and that they are responsible enough to find it a new home when they can't care for it. Rather then telling everyone if they end up rehoming a pet before it dies that they aren't a good owner. I've already seen several threads of responsible chicken owners having to give up their flocks this year. Life is too unpredictable and if we only did things we were 100% sure of most of us would never get to own any pets at all.​

 

[PotterWatch]

Quote:
This is a rather unthinking statement, imo. Do you really think that everyone who is foreclosed upon anticipated not being able to afford their house? I would assume that many people were financially stable enough to get a house, and therefore stable enough to have a pet. I don't know many people who buy a house and think..."In a couple of years I plan on being laid off and not being able to make my house payments. Let's get a dog that we can abandon when that happens"!

 

[seedcorn]

1) Pets are animals. You have them for whatever reason. When that reason is changed, the situation is changed.
2) Don't apologize, just deal with it. They are animals.
3) There is never a reason to mistreat animals.
4) People that work in shelters have a miserable job in some respects. All man made.
5) People can be low lifes. Stop breeding animals that aren't needed. Breeders breed how many cats/dogs to get that one "perfect" example of the breed???? It's for the $$$$. They are no different than grey hound racers.
6) those of you in towns, QUIT dumping your no longer wanted on us in the country!!!!! I now get to neuter 3 female cats (that were obvious pets) at $100 a piece. W/16 year daughter, rather spend the $300 than watch her cry by solving problem w/20 gauge. If I had caught them, I'd have went medevial on them. have the decency if you can't find a home, have them put down--your expense but you're too selfish to spend the $$ to put them down. Couldn't buy your alcohol or tobacco........

sorry for the vent but I'm ticked............