Save a dog. Get fired

[theotherranch]

If the dog (or mini-cow or donkey or camel.......) is in your car, and the car is climate controlled, no one has a say about it. But once you park that car, turn off the ac, and leave that poor thing in a sealed car on a tar parking lot while you run into a store, if only for a "minute", it changes the game! Here in coastal SC, that car will VERY quickly become hot enough to kill, and is illegal!
Somehow this thread seems to have taken a left hand turn, but I went back to the original post and it's about proper care for your animal and what to do if someone doesn't do so!
Bottom line is (excuse me for yelling) REPORT THEM!!!!!!!!!

 

[redhen]

Yep.. and if the cops arent getting there quick enough and i saw the animal was in distress, i WOULD break out the window..

 

[kbh82310]

OK, forget cows and fish, how about my mule? Anyone who knows donkeys and mules knows, they bond, and bond closely. They have memories that will put an elephant's to shame - my mule is so smart, she seems psychic. At 32", she's only slightly larger than a dog, and she's almost housebroken - there are only certain places in the pasture and barn where she eliminates, if she needs to go, she'll hold it until she can get to one. Lots of horses have been taught to urinate on command; I know of a miniature horse that was trained as a service animal that defecated on command, too (how many dogs are trained to do that?) My mule was 9 years old when I got her; her previous owner had a devil of a time getting her in a trailer. For us, she jumps in and out of a trailer, no problem. Most people fall in love with her on sight, and she loves meeting people and other equines. Better watch your dogs around her, though - she's been known to attack dogs.

And to my mind, that's the problem with this whole argument. Because as much as we may love them, our pets are still animals. However well-mannered and well-trained they may be, given the right circumstances, they will act like animals. Most people don't have dogs, don't know how to act around dogs, may not like dogs. Some are even afraid of dogs. Should all non-dog-owners have to put up with them, anywhere and at any time, just because some people are attached to their pets?

Bunnylady I live outside of wilm and one day a few months ago I ran into wilm to go to the feed store and saw someone with what looked like a mini horse/mule ( it was across a intersection so I didn't have the best view but I know it was some kind of livestock) in their van was that you?! That totally made my day!

 

[pysankigirl]

...
Somehow this thread seems to have taken a left hand turn, but I went back to the original post and it's about proper care for your animal and what to do if someone doesn't do so!
Bottom line is (excuse me for yelling) REPORT THEM!!!!!!!!!

exactly. Yes your dog loves to come with you in the car but don't let that undermine good judgement. Never leave them in an unairconditioned vehicle in the heat.

As to the rest...dogs should be on leash in public (when not confined in the vehicle) and care should be taken that they do not impinge on anyone else's personal space.

 

[Bunnylady]

Bunnylady I live outside of wilm and one day a few months ago I ran into wilm to go to the feed store and saw someone with what looked like a mini horse/mule ( it was across a intersection so I didn't have the best view but I know it was some kind of livestock) in their van was that you?! That totally made my day!

No, that wasn't me. As fond as I am of my little mule, I can't structure my life around her. If she had to depend on me for companionship, she'd be one lonely little mule, which is why I bought a couple of horsey friends to keep her company (BTW, the wildest thing I've ever seen in traffic around here was a live tiger in the backseat of a car - really!) It would take a pretty big van to haul all three of my girls, and I find Wilmington traffic hairy enough in an SUV!

But that once again brings us back to what I believe is the point of this thread. However much pleasure you may get from having your pet with you, their health and safety should be more important. If taking them along means exposing them to potentially life-threatening conditions, then it is better to forego their company, whatever the legal situation may be.

 

[seminolewind]

I think one of the biggest problems is that pets and babies and small children rely on us for their wellbeing. They can't tell us what's wrong.

 

[kbh82310]

No, that wasn't me. As fond as I am of my little mule, I can't structure my life around her. If she had to depend on me for companionship, she'd be one lonely little mule, which is why I bought a couple of horsey friends to keep her company (BTW, the wildest thing I've ever seen in traffic around here was a live tiger in the backseat of a car - really!) It would take a pretty big van to haul all three of my girls, and I find Wilmington traffic hairy enough in an SUV!

But that once again brings us back to what I believe is the point of this thread. However much pleasure you may get from having your pet with you, their health and safety should be more important. If taking them along means exposing them to potentially life-threatening conditions, then it is better to forego their company, whatever the legal situation may be.

I would LOVE to see a tiger riding around in a car around wilm lol. Was it full grown? And I totally agree about the traffic, but it wouldn't be so bad if the bridge didn't have to go up every 5 mins! I live in Bolivia so it's about 45 mins from wilm and about 55 mins from myrtle beach and hubby and I usually choose myrtle beach if we are going out just to avoid the bridge and wilm traffic.