Animals
 

I read on here about people paying a lot of money to ship their cat or dog out.
Do you think English people are more attached to their animals than anyone else.
I know this is not the subject for this site but im a 61 year old pom living in
Australia and i have to take my dog to the vet today to be put down and im in pieces tears and panic attacks.
Before anyone ask me he is 10 and stopped eating just wants to sleep.
We wanted him to go in his sleep but the vet says he could go on for weeks.

Re: Animals
 

We went through the same thing with one of our dogs a few years ago. Myself, my wife and daughter all in tears; I was away on a business trip so they had to wait an extra day for me to get home. Ther poor dog had gone blind with a form of cancer but of course she knew we were there with her at the end.

We are Brits and we are certainly very attached to our dogs. I was on an international business course years ago and a Spanish lecturer (who was very funny) took the mickey out of me mercilessly for this national characteristic.

So I think (in general) we are a bit more attached to our dogs than many Australians (more of a working dog history and lots of people keep their dogs outside the house).

If putting your dog to sleep is the right thing to do based on his quality of life then it is simply something you have to do and it is the last good thing you can do for him/her.

I know that doesn't make it any easier so good luck today.

Re: Animals
 

I think the British people I know are certainly very attached to their pets, dogs particularly.

I lost my dog of 13 years last year and spent over a week in complete distress so I can sympathis. Try and remember all the fun you've had - funny things your dog has done. It's so hard but it will get better.

Re: Animals
 

Hey,
I run the local animal refuge here where I live and I can deffinately say that we English folk, have more compassion and love for our animals in our little fingers than most Australians.
You would cringe over some of the reasons that people surrender their animals, from going on holiday, moving interstate, to buying a puppy and fancy this.... its grows up!!!!
Ive been there 4 years now andevery day I am still shocked......
Thoughts are with you Wapping.....

Angela

Re: Animals
 

That's what happens when they get old. Just wanting to sleep though is no reason to put them down if otherwise they are fine and they still have a quality of life.

Re: Animals
 

Co-ordinated a breed rescue in the UK and excuses and some damn right horrible people wanting 'rid', having heard them all and dealt with some nasty people throughout the years makes you see people very differently.

However the homes we found and some of the people giving their dog up were lovely people with genuine reasons and it's the same here. I mostly have just 'true dog people' as friends both in the UK and now here in Australia and I don't notice any difference in them from whatever side of the world they are on.

If anything the wildlife volunteers here are regulated as opposed to in the UK - have used on both sides of the world and they are much the same people. The vet I use fixes the wildlife up for the local WIRES and have often been in there with people bringing in injured birds.

Go to any council dog pound in the UK that's rescue at the sharp end, we used to get the odd one out and rehome but there are just so many it's heartbreaking.

Re: Animals
 

Thanks for the four kind comments.
Vets are no help they said that they could save the dog as they think he
has become diabetic and if we left him to just sleep he would have starved to death.
The blood tests would be $800 and they would teach me how to inject him twice a day.
The thought of me injecting him made me shake.
Total cost of injections $350 a week.
As my pension is $350 a week it would mean i could cure him but not feed him or me.
Why he could not say the dog is 10 he has been spoilt rotten let him go.
Now i feel quilty for not saving him but you have to be practical
Bye old friend

Re: Animals
 

mate you gave that dog the best life by the sounds of it and the kindest passing. He was your mate and it was time to let go. You did good.

Re: Animals
 

Please do not feel guilty, sometimes I think we overstep the mark in how far we are prepared to go in order to keep our pets alive and I wonder, do we do it for them or us? It doesnt just stop at injecting him, it means diet/new diet, being strict about his regime and at the end of the day, you have to be realistic.

You have made the right decision for you and your dog and please do not let anyone make you feel bad about it, $350 is a huge amount of money and whilst veterinary costs might not be an issue to some, it certainly is a bottomless pit to others. It doesnt mean you dont care any less, or you are any less of a good pet owner, my dog is insured and even that would run out with something like diabetes.

10 years is old for a dog and an age they certainly wouldnt reach in the wild, you did your best for him and now you are going to make a decision based on yours and his circumstances now.

A two year old young dog with diabetes could be rehomed, a 10 year old diabetic dog is not as easy to rehome. You are giving him a dignified ending which is more than many animals have, let alone 10 happy years with their owners.

:)

Re: Animals
 

I feel you did the right thing, clearly you loved your dog, we have two puppies back in the UK they are only 14 months old, and are sisters. We are deciding to bring them over ($5000), we have left them with our parents who have become very attached to them!!. I really want them over with me as I feel we decided to buy them and its our responablity to look after them, but also I love and miss them a lot. Just remember the fun times with you dog, thats whats counts

Re: Animals
 

Right thing ... Bloody hard tho... We've always had other peoples cast offs... And they've all become members of our family... In fact they're better than a lot of members of me family, coz they give so much, constantly without expectations of anything other than a bit o love and a decent feed...

Its awful having to do the right thing, i remember when we had to put down our Nannie dog... A rscued rottie cross who devoted her self to my kids... She had liver cancer and her quality of life deteriorated, she wouldnt have understood pain and suffering and we able to do that for her.. Avoid much of the pain and suffering that would have happened should she lived longer...

Re: Animals
 

I was going to bring my cats to Australia and went to get all their first lot of vaccine's done and micro chip done last Monday. In the early hours of Saturday morning, my beautiful healthy four year old boy dropped dead, from what we can only assume was a reaction to the vaccine. I'm devastated because I feel like I have killed my little furry companion because of my desire to bring him to Australia with me.

I'm now seriously considering wether or not to re home my other little girl as I could not bear it if anything were to happen to her because of our move. I certainly do not want to take her back for the second lot of injections.

I have to go to pick him up from the vets in an hour so that I can take him to be cremated.

Re: Animals
 

With cats The vaccinnations they have are nothing they don't have anyway... Cats, dogs and children, shouodn't be allowed out of the house without their vaccinations being up to date....

Re: Animals
 

kamie, I feel for you big time, before we came over my cat Charlie who is 14 years old, went to live with my sister, but he bit her daughter, so I had no choice to place him in a animal home. Both my husband and I cried so much when we gave him away, it the one of the hardest things we had to do. I have since found out that he has been rehomed, ( he was a bit of a devil!! but I loved him). So I am happy that he has found some where to live. So dont worry too much about your other cat, I am sure he will be loved

Re: Animals
 

They have always been house cats...always. Never even shown any inclination that they ever wanted to go outside. Bob especially was just happy and content pottering round the house, he was like my second shadow.