Disposable pets ... a tragedy that doesn't get the press it deserves
Dec 5th 2007, 2:36 pm
#1
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Joined: Jul 2007
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Posts: 8,497
Disposable pets ... a tragedy that doesn't get the press it deserves
It makes me so angry that people frequently take pets into their homes, and turn them back when their cuteness has worn off, abandoning them without much thought.
I've just spent the past half hour paging through Petfinder, and looking at all of the animals that have been abandoned by their families ... because of a move, too much energy, puppy behavior, inconvenience, etc. No doubt after Christmas there will be more.
It's a shame that this isn't spoken about more often than it is. Last year one of my co-workers was in a panic because her dog was lost. It turned up at the local pound and while she collected their dog with great relief, she told me that there was a line of people giving up their animals before the holidays. :curse:
I bet 99.9% of those animals never saw the light of day again.
Tonight I ended up sponsoring a pooch I used to walk when I volunteered at a local no-kill shelter. He's a sweetie but hard to adopt as he is blind. It breaks my heart that after 2 years he still doesn't have a home. If we didn't already have 4 pets, I'd take him home in a heartbeat. Former owners turned him over to a shelter when he was 10 months old, and the shelter workers quickly realized something was wrong when he was walking into walls, etc. at their office. When they called the former owners to ask if they knew he was blind, they said "oh, we just thought he was clumsy" :curse:
It made me think tonight, that instead of wracking my brain for things I want for Christmas that I don't really need ... maybe I can do a little good in the world instead.
Thanks to anyone reading who has given a home to an animal in need.
I've just spent the past half hour paging through Petfinder, and looking at all of the animals that have been abandoned by their families ... because of a move, too much energy, puppy behavior, inconvenience, etc. No doubt after Christmas there will be more.
It's a shame that this isn't spoken about more often than it is. Last year one of my co-workers was in a panic because her dog was lost. It turned up at the local pound and while she collected their dog with great relief, she told me that there was a line of people giving up their animals before the holidays. :curse:
I bet 99.9% of those animals never saw the light of day again.
Tonight I ended up sponsoring a pooch I used to walk when I volunteered at a local no-kill shelter. He's a sweetie but hard to adopt as he is blind. It breaks my heart that after 2 years he still doesn't have a home. If we didn't already have 4 pets, I'd take him home in a heartbeat. Former owners turned him over to a shelter when he was 10 months old, and the shelter workers quickly realized something was wrong when he was walking into walls, etc. at their office. When they called the former owners to ask if they knew he was blind, they said "oh, we just thought he was clumsy" :curse:
It made me think tonight, that instead of wracking my brain for things I want for Christmas that I don't really need ... maybe I can do a little good in the world instead.
Thanks to anyone reading who has given a home to an animal in need.
Dec 5th 2007, 2:49 pm
#2
Are we there yet?
Joined: Jul 2007
Location: 31 miles from Cool (California)
Posts: 2,467
Re: Disposable pets ... a tragedy that doesn't get the press it deserves
Don't get me started... My husband took me to the shelter last weekend to see if there was a suitable cat for his Mom who has been muttering about a new cat for a couple of weeks (hers died earlier this year).
We absolutely fell in love with a dog there. Shes on the old side, and it really isn't practical for us to have another one at the moment.
I left the shelter crying making Mr W promise not to take me there again, I just find it too distressing to leave those animals there.
We absolutely fell in love with a dog there. Shes on the old side, and it really isn't practical for us to have another one at the moment.
I left the shelter crying making Mr W promise not to take me there again, I just find it too distressing to leave those animals there.
Dec 5th 2007, 2:54 pm
#3
Homebody
Joined: Jan 2005
Location: HOME
Posts: 23,182
Re: Disposable pets ... a tragedy that doesn't get the press it deserves
I went to our local animal shelter only once - to adopt the cat and dog who, for the past 6 years, have been beloved members of our family.
I could never go back there unless it was to adopt another animal. The place was too awful - seeing all those pets just broke my heart.
Our dog was 'given up' by her previous owners after they had had her for 5 years - since she was a puppy. She is the sweetest creature you could imagine.
Our cat was dumped in one of those overnight drop-bins............ as if she was just so much refuse.
Makes me mad...
I could never go back there unless it was to adopt another animal. The place was too awful - seeing all those pets just broke my heart.
Our dog was 'given up' by her previous owners after they had had her for 5 years - since she was a puppy. She is the sweetest creature you could imagine.
Our cat was dumped in one of those overnight drop-bins............ as if she was just so much refuse.
Makes me mad...
Dec 5th 2007, 2:56 pm
#4
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Joined: Jul 2007
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Posts: 8,497
Re: Disposable pets ... a tragedy that doesn't get the press it deserves
Don't get me started... My husband took me to the shelter last weekend to see if there was a suitable cat for his Mom who has been muttering about a new cat for a couple of weeks (hers died earlier this year).
We absolutely fell in love with a dog there. Shes on the old side, and it really isn't practical for us to have another one at the moment.
I left the shelter crying making Mr W promise not to take me there again, I just find it too distressing to leave those animals there.
We absolutely fell in love with a dog there. Shes on the old side, and it really isn't practical for us to have another one at the moment.
I left the shelter crying making Mr W promise not to take me there again, I just find it too distressing to leave those animals there.
I hear you - that's why we spent our time volunteering at a no-kill shelter that takes wonderful care of its animals. www.lfaw.org It made it easier, but nearly broke my heart when we couldn't adopt the dog I sponsored tonight. Tears were shed and my husband and I really got into it ... I was thinking with my heart, he was thinking with his head. You can't save them all.On the bright side, the President of the shelter that is now housing him just e-mailed me thanking me for the gift, and shared that he now spends Wednesday - Monday every week with a foster family.
Dec 5th 2007, 2:58 pm
#5
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Joined: Jul 2007
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
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Re: Disposable pets ... a tragedy that doesn't get the press it deserves
I went to our local animal shelter only once - to adopt the cat and dog who, for the past 6 years, have been beloved members of our family.
I could never go back there unless it was to adopt another animal. The place was too awful - seeing all those pets just broke my heart.
Our dog was 'given up' by her previous owners after they had had her for 5 years - since she was a puppy. She is the sweetest creature you could imagine.
Our cat was dumped in one of those overnight drop-bins............ as if she was just so much refuse.
Makes me mad...
I could never go back there unless it was to adopt another animal. The place was too awful - seeing all those pets just broke my heart.
Our dog was 'given up' by her previous owners after they had had her for 5 years - since she was a puppy. She is the sweetest creature you could imagine.
Our cat was dumped in one of those overnight drop-bins............ as if she was just so much refuse.
Makes me mad...
Dec 5th 2007, 3:04 pm
#6
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 88,105
Re: Disposable pets ... a tragedy that doesn't get the press it deserves
I would love to own an animal shelter...we donate and will leave a good percentage of our $$'s to a shelter.
Dogs are for life...not just for Christmas.
Which reminds me...in the UK a sign of a good breeder is that they won't sell a dog over the Christmas period. I hope I'm wrong but I haven't found the same here.
Dogs are for life...not just for Christmas.
Which reminds me...in the UK a sign of a good breeder is that they won't sell a dog over the Christmas period. I hope I'm wrong but I haven't found the same here.
Dec 5th 2007, 3:13 pm
#7
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Re: Disposable pets ... a tragedy that doesn't get the press it deserves
I would love to own an animal shelter...we donate and will leave a good percentage of our $$'s to a shelter.
Dogs are for life...not just for Christmas.
Which reminds me...in the UK a sign of a good breeder is that they won't sell a dog over the Christmas period. I hope I'm wrong but I haven't found the same here.
Dogs are for life...not just for Christmas.
Which reminds me...in the UK a sign of a good breeder is that they won't sell a dog over the Christmas period. I hope I'm wrong but I haven't found the same here.
And don't get me started on pet stores ...
Dec 5th 2007, 3:16 pm
#8
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 88,105
Re: Disposable pets ... a tragedy that doesn't get the press it deserves
OMG pet stores have been illegal in the UK for decades...I can't believe it's allowed here. :curse: Besides a good breeder doesn't need to sell to a pet store. :curse::curse:
Dec 5th 2007, 3:18 pm
#9
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Re: Disposable pets ... a tragedy that doesn't get the press it deserves
The breeders don't sell to the pet stores, the puppy mills do - and they should definitely be outlawed!
Dec 5th 2007, 3:20 pm
#10
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Joined: Dec 2005
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Re: Disposable pets ... a tragedy that doesn't get the press it deserves
There are puppy mills in the UK but it must be around 40 yrs ago since pet stores were allowed to sell them.
Dec 5th 2007, 3:22 pm
#11
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Dec 5th 2007, 3:25 pm
#12
Bugger Off!
Joined: Sep 2006
Location: Michigan
Posts: 2,858
Re: Disposable pets ... a tragedy that doesn't get the press it deserves
It makes me so angry that people frequently take pets into their homes, and turn them back when their cuteness has worn off, abandoning them without much thought.
I've just spent the past half hour paging through Petfinder, and looking at all of the animals that have been abandoned by their families ... because of a move, too much energy, puppy behavior, inconvenience, etc. No doubt after Christmas there will be more.
It's a shame that this isn't spoken about more often than it is. Last year one of my co-workers was in a panic because her dog was lost. It turned up at the local pound and while she collected their dog with great relief, she told me that there was a line of people giving up their animals before the holidays. :curse:
I bet 99.9% of those animals never saw the light of day again.
Tonight I ended up sponsoring a pooch I used to walk when I volunteered at a local no-kill shelter. He's a sweetie but hard to adopt as he is blind. It breaks my heart that after 2 years he still doesn't have a home. If we didn't already have 4 pets, I'd take him home in a heartbeat. Former owners turned him over to a shelter when he was 10 months old, and the shelter workers quickly realized something was wrong when he was walking into walls, etc. at their office. When they called the former owners to ask if they knew he was blind, they said "oh, we just thought he was clumsy" :curse:
It made me think tonight, that instead of wracking my brain for things I want for Christmas that I don't really need ... maybe I can do a little good in the world instead.
Thanks to anyone reading who has given a home to an animal in need.
I've just spent the past half hour paging through Petfinder, and looking at all of the animals that have been abandoned by their families ... because of a move, too much energy, puppy behavior, inconvenience, etc. No doubt after Christmas there will be more.
It's a shame that this isn't spoken about more often than it is. Last year one of my co-workers was in a panic because her dog was lost. It turned up at the local pound and while she collected their dog with great relief, she told me that there was a line of people giving up their animals before the holidays. :curse:
I bet 99.9% of those animals never saw the light of day again.
Tonight I ended up sponsoring a pooch I used to walk when I volunteered at a local no-kill shelter. He's a sweetie but hard to adopt as he is blind. It breaks my heart that after 2 years he still doesn't have a home. If we didn't already have 4 pets, I'd take him home in a heartbeat. Former owners turned him over to a shelter when he was 10 months old, and the shelter workers quickly realized something was wrong when he was walking into walls, etc. at their office. When they called the former owners to ask if they knew he was blind, they said "oh, we just thought he was clumsy" :curse:
It made me think tonight, that instead of wracking my brain for things I want for Christmas that I don't really need ... maybe I can do a little good in the world instead.
Thanks to anyone reading who has given a home to an animal in need.
Dec 5th 2007, 3:33 pm
#13
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Joined: Jun 2002
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 11,061
Re: Disposable pets ... a tragedy that doesn't get the press it deserves
I plan on getting my next ratties from a specialist rodent or rat organization (who offer adoptable rats). I'm never buying a pet from a pet shop again and would advise against anyone buying pet rats from that kind of source.
The obvious choice for me is http://www.raleighrodentrescue.org/ or possibly Kim's Ark (http://www.kimsarkrescue.org/).
The obvious choice for me is http://www.raleighrodentrescue.org/ or possibly Kim's Ark (http://www.kimsarkrescue.org/).
Dec 5th 2007, 3:34 pm
#14
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Joined: Jul 2007
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Re: Disposable pets ... a tragedy that doesn't get the press it deserves
I plan on getting my next ratties from a specialist rodent or rat organization (who offer adoptable rats). I'm never buying a pet from a pet shop again and would advise against anyone buying pet rats from that kind of source.
The obvious choice for me is http://www.raleighrodentrescue.org/ or possibly Kim's Ark (http://www.kimsarkrescue.org/).
The obvious choice for me is http://www.raleighrodentrescue.org/ or possibly Kim's Ark (http://www.kimsarkrescue.org/).
Dec 5th 2007, 3:47 pm
#15
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 2,717
Re: Disposable pets ... a tragedy that doesn't get the press it deserves
You can't save them all; I know my wife tried. We have 4 cats, 2 dogs and 2 horses. I bought my horse here, and brought my cat from the UK. All the others are rescue. A 3 legged cat that has asthma, a cat with no ears, a cat with social problems (now much improved), a neurotic cat saved from a traffic accident, a partially blind wolf, a dog that was scared of everyone and everything, a horse from the racetrack. You can only do so much.
She is faced with having to euthanize animals daily; I would find this incredible difficult, but for an animal lover like my wife I can't pretend to know how that feels
She wants "a house with land"; I already understand, and am coming to terms with what that will mean. She is undergoing a grueling internship with really long hours, so I am primary caretaker of all the 'furry children'.
A typical morning:
get up and let dogs out, go to bathroom and turn water tap on for little cat to drink from (she has kidney problems and my wife insists I entertain this habit of the cat drinking from the tap when I get up), then let one cat out front door and one out the back door, collect pills for dog (try and persuade dog to eat pills by covering them in catfood), let cat back in the front door, feed 3 legged cat on a shelf away from others, fill ouside dogs water bowl and let cat in, feed other cats together, then feed dogs, fill inside water bowl, empty cat litter trays (3), pick up 'dog logs' from garden, give dogs rawhide bones to chew whilst I get ready for work, grab 3 legged cat and administer asthma inhaler, let cat out front door again, take a shower and get ready for work, let dogs in (if hot put in a room with A.C., if cold a room with a heater on), let cat back in front door before heading to work - finally checking everyone is inside. My arrival home from work is somewhat similar in chores . . .
She is faced with having to euthanize animals daily; I would find this incredible difficult, but for an animal lover like my wife I can't pretend to know how that feels
She wants "a house with land"; I already understand, and am coming to terms with what that will mean. She is undergoing a grueling internship with really long hours, so I am primary caretaker of all the 'furry children'.
A typical morning:
get up and let dogs out, go to bathroom and turn water tap on for little cat to drink from (she has kidney problems and my wife insists I entertain this habit of the cat drinking from the tap when I get up), then let one cat out front door and one out the back door, collect pills for dog (try and persuade dog to eat pills by covering them in catfood), let cat back in the front door, feed 3 legged cat on a shelf away from others, fill ouside dogs water bowl and let cat in, feed other cats together, then feed dogs, fill inside water bowl, empty cat litter trays (3), pick up 'dog logs' from garden, give dogs rawhide bones to chew whilst I get ready for work, grab 3 legged cat and administer asthma inhaler, let cat out front door again, take a shower and get ready for work, let dogs in (if hot put in a room with A.C., if cold a room with a heater on), let cat back in front door before heading to work - finally checking everyone is inside. My arrival home from work is somewhat similar in chores . . .
It makes me so angry that people frequently take pets into their homes, and turn them back when their cuteness has worn off, abandoning them without much thought.
I've just spent the past half hour paging through Petfinder, and looking at all of the animals that have been abandoned by their families ... because of a move, too much energy, puppy behavior, inconvenience, etc. No doubt after Christmas there will be more.
It's a shame that this isn't spoken about more often than it is. Last year one of my co-workers was in a panic because her dog was lost. It turned up at the local pound and while she collected their dog with great relief, she told me that there was a line of people giving up their animals before the holidays. :curse:
I bet 99.9% of those animals never saw the light of day again.
Tonight I ended up sponsoring a pooch I used to walk when I volunteered at a local no-kill shelter. He's a sweetie but hard to adopt as he is blind. It breaks my heart that after 2 years he still doesn't have a home. If we didn't already have 4 pets, I'd take him home in a heartbeat. Former owners turned him over to a shelter when he was 10 months old, and the shelter workers quickly realized something was wrong when he was walking into walls, etc. at their office. When they called the former owners to ask if they knew he was blind, they said "oh, we just thought he was clumsy" :curse:
It made me think tonight, that instead of wracking my brain for things I want for Christmas that I don't really need ... maybe I can do a little good in the world instead.
Thanks to anyone reading who has given a home to an animal in need.
I've just spent the past half hour paging through Petfinder, and looking at all of the animals that have been abandoned by their families ... because of a move, too much energy, puppy behavior, inconvenience, etc. No doubt after Christmas there will be more.
It's a shame that this isn't spoken about more often than it is. Last year one of my co-workers was in a panic because her dog was lost. It turned up at the local pound and while she collected their dog with great relief, she told me that there was a line of people giving up their animals before the holidays. :curse:
I bet 99.9% of those animals never saw the light of day again.
Tonight I ended up sponsoring a pooch I used to walk when I volunteered at a local no-kill shelter. He's a sweetie but hard to adopt as he is blind. It breaks my heart that after 2 years he still doesn't have a home. If we didn't already have 4 pets, I'd take him home in a heartbeat. Former owners turned him over to a shelter when he was 10 months old, and the shelter workers quickly realized something was wrong when he was walking into walls, etc. at their office. When they called the former owners to ask if they knew he was blind, they said "oh, we just thought he was clumsy" :curse:
It made me think tonight, that instead of wracking my brain for things I want for Christmas that I don't really need ... maybe I can do a little good in the world instead.
Thanks to anyone reading who has given a home to an animal in need.
