Times Are Tough, But Should Pets Suffer?
If you're reading this, you're probably not the type of person who would abandon your dog. Unfortunately, there are many people out there who might. Every day, I read several news stories about pets who have been left for dead. Some do not survive, others become critically ill. The fact is, pets are being left behind after their owners lose everything -- and it's happening in record numbers. Not all of these owners are terrible people, some may just be overwhelmed and misinformed. Losing a home, a job, or both can make it nearly impossible to take care of pets. However, there are solutions that will not victimize innocent pets.
As animal lovers we can help spread the word about the alternatives to dumping a pet. If you know someone who has fallen on hard times, or if you think someone you know might abandon a pet, please step in and try to help.
Tell us: How has the current economy and housing crisis affected you, your pets, and your community? Share your story here.
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Comments
Times are very tough. My husband did get a job. It’s not going to let us retire however we can still pay vet bills with the help of our credit cards and our three dogs and cat eat a good food and take vitamins every day. We all have a roof over our heads. So we are some of the lucky ones. Still I do wish times were easier.
Times are tough alright but, if I and my husband lost our home. (Which we won’t) but if we did, we or I would bring my dogs with us even if we had to live in tent, and I would let them sleep in my sleepingbag to keep them warm in the winter if necessary. My dogs are just as precious to me as my children were, and there is no way I would abandon them. I would also share any food I had with them to make sure they wouldn’t starve. Now my two tiny dogs have the appatite of a very large dog and it would not be easy to cut down on their food but we would do whatever we could to keep them healthy.
The person who could leave there dog, shouldn’t have a dog in the first place. There are options out there. You could take your dog to shelter, at least give it a chance. I have 2 labs and my feeling is for better or worse till death do us part.
We live in the country and in past month we have had 2 dogs dumped by us.They are still here and yesterday morming when I got up a puppy wearing a fancy collar was here.as we live outside of city limits neither the city shelter or the humane society will help.Our family of 3 dogs is now 6 dogs,I have to buy more food now and that hurts ,but they will not go hungrey at my house
I agree with Susan. I have a dog and a cat, both of which are like my children. There is absolutely no way I could ever dump them.
If there came a point where I ABSOLUTELY (and oh would that take a lot) could not care for them properly in any way shape or form, I would personally find a good home for them, if not at least temporarily.
I have a very hard time with this. Yes, times are hard and people are losing things that they more than likely never dreamed of…but you choose to have a pet or a child and for that reason you as pet owner should be responsible enough to find a much better way. I find that type of decision inexcusable and unforgivable. My husband always tells people it’s my babies (pets 2 parrots and a chihuahua) then him. I tell him…you can take care of yourself, they can’t because we took away that choice.
I think that its an awful thing to leave ones pet alone . one should make sure that they are taken care of I understand that some people just don’t feel the same way about their pets as others do my dog is my life and I am in a situation where I might lose my home and the thought of losing My little girl is killing Me I just don’t know what to do if it comes down to it and the way things are going its looking as if I might lose everything . I have a plan for My dog I have a friend that will take her . just writing this makes me sooooo sad.. but have no plans for myself.. but I know she will be taken care of that the most important thing for me…
I found a small Terrier mix on 02/15/08 just outside of Chicago on a very busy highway – outside temp was 10 degrees below zero. He was apparently dumped by his owner – no collar, no tags. I can understand being in a situation where you can’t care for your dog, but leaving a small dog in weather like that is just horrible.
We decided to keep him and he is about the smartest dog I ever met!
Please, please do not DUMP your pet if you can’t care for it. Take it to a shelter where at least it has a chance of finding a good home.
Life brings people surprises, and sometimes those difficult life circumstances might place an individual in a situation where they have absolutely no choice but to forfeit ownership of a dog. Most SPCA’s have a contract with adopted dogs – they are to be returned to that SPCA, never given away to someone else. This happens to the poor and rich alike.
The economic factors as I seem them: The more powerful politicians at one end of the nation are making decisions for what’s going on at the other end – leaving each one of us little ability to develop a vibrant culture that can include such things as setting and maintaining high standards for responsible pet ownership.
For now – all we can do is volunteer and donate. Until the financial decisions are returned to local authorities, we seem to be passified with this shabby culture of passive neglect by big promises of fixing the entire nation’s problems.
We don’t all really need to be alike to be considered a FAIR & JUST nation.
I think that my God sent me to this web site..we just lost our four legged daughter (LISA MARIE ROBINSON) June 25 2008. She was w/us for 11 years. She was here before the grandkids came into this world.Lisa was the most loving and understanding “person” in my husband and my life.
We took her to the vet cause we was thinking maybe she had arthritis.we would go in and get the meds need…A shock to us our daughter had a tumor and internal bleeding
…WHAT A SHOCK…..I totally agree with the comments of the ones that I read……..If you can afford a pet you have no bussiness having one….and if you have one and can no longer care for you child//// put an ad in the local paper/talk to yours or any vet//as other people. There is always help out there just as parents that have human babies can and should do….May God be w/you if you are so EVIL to just disregard a life in such and inhumane way. I would give almost anything just to have a few more minutes or maybe some hours with her……….my 5 year old grandkids stated that they lost their aunt.this is how our family feel about our pets they are FAMILY AND NOTHING LESS…thank you for letting express myself.
Dogs are wonderful creatures and dursive homes with careing owners. Dogs can not control all of their actions punishment should not result in abandonment. Care for your dog as you would car for yourself. Dogs are living and loving creatures just as you and I are, so they don’t deserve cruel treatment. Do your part in this world and help save abandoned dogs.
I love dogs and dont want to see them hurt. So please do yuor part in this world and help abandoned dogs. Instead of thinking of yourself as an owner think of yourself as the dog’s parent. Therefore you are responsable for raising it properly.
Well last year exactly to the date my husband and I found out we were losing our home. We were devastated and very much afraid what was going to happen to us and our two large dogs. I said i dont care if we have to sleep in our cars the dogs are coming with us, they are our family, and our babies. We wouldnt leave a child behind, so why a dog.. We did manage to rent a home and the dogs are even better off now; they have a pool, so things worked out good for us. but i read all the time about people who leave their dogs behind, infact on our street we found out one of the abandon houses had a dog left behind for 2 months and no body knew about it, the owners left some CANNED dog food for the dogs ( like they can open it up themselves) and no access to water, the dogs were so hungry they managed to chew their way through the cans and get to the food. SAD very sad.. If i would have known about the dog i would have done something. People are so quick to just leave a dog that was apart of their family like it never meant anything to them. Why not call someone and well even bring it to the pound. It has a better chance of surviving there than on its own. I have to say I was so scared not knowing what was going to happen but luckily for us it worked out good.