A 'pet' is a lifetime commitment

I couldn't agree more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It bothers me that these people are lacking that 'attachment' gene.........If you make a comittment to a pet, you FIND a way to make it work out... a friend of mines daughter adopted a 10 month old kitten, KNOWING she(the human) was having a baby soon. Well she had the baby, the cat almost jumped on it from the top of the stairs, (as cats will do sometimes) so she put it out in the cold, it stayed on the porch for 2 days then dissapeared. She said 'matter of factly' that it probably got eaten by an animal!!!! How unfeeling!!!!! Dont even get me started!!!!!!!

My pets are like children to me too!

As most of you know my pet children are very important to me.I watch after them and when the grandkids pick to much the grandkids are the ones that get into trouble,as the pets can not say leave me alone.
I treat my petchildren the way I want to be treated,and if I leave them at home they post as bad as the real kids.

that should be pout,darn fingers.

You are right that a pet is a BIG commitment in time, effort, and money. Now that I have Dakota (a 12 week old pit bull pup with tons of energy), I drag myself out of bed in the morning, put on my warmest clothes, and take him for a long walk. Since I use a rolling walker, he has to walk beside or slightly behind my walker, which he does quite well. Dad goes with me in case Dakota might escape and he'd need to catch him (has never happened, luckily) or in case I get so tired he has to go fetch the car to drive me home (that hasn't happened either). When we get home from our walk. I shut the driveway gates and let Dakota have a nice long romp loose in the yard. He loves to run and play in the snow. Believe me, if I didn't have a dog to exercise, I wouldn't be sitting out in a snowy lawn chair in the back yard on a cold day! When Dakota gets cold or tired, he goes and sits by the back door for me to let him in. Then he takes his nap and after plays with toys inside. If we are going somewhere in the car that the dog can go, he goes with us in the car for socialization purposes. At 12 weeks, he knows the commands come and sit, and he will play fetch with a ball, and he walks well on a leash. I spend 2 or more hours a day training and socializing and exercising him. If his temperment is suitable, I would eventually like to train him as an assistance dog to help me with various tasks.

Great article.

We have (had) friends who constantly return dogs to the pound when they "don't work out". Of course, they never exercised or disciplined any of them either. Dumbasses. Needless to say, we no longer hang out with them, or anyone that thinks that pets are disposable.

I have taken in a lot of abandoned animals over the years. The last one being a female dog who was nearly starved to death .. just to find out a few weeks later she was pregnant! Then .. she had 10 puppies!!! Even though she and the puppies were not 'mine' I still did everything I could to ensure each puppy got a nice safe home! Umm .. in fact I still have two at my house who dearly want to stay with me! LOL

Hate to see animals suffer because of stupid people .. to bad we can't inflict the same onto the people or have them swap pplaces .. maybe then they would learn what they are doing is wrong!

My sister has 4 cats and recently one had to be put down and it was the saddest day in my sisters life! She is single-no kids and her cats are her life!

Deana, I have had neighbors like that but only the ones that were in the one and only rental house here. They had 2 dogs and at least 4 cats till they started to multiply. After the brood got too big some of the cats were given to "GOOD HOMES" to lead happy lifes. In time there were only 3 of them left, their favorites. Well the dogs were another story, the female was pregnant with pups at least 3 times in their stay of 3 years, and where the puppies went I don't know. The dogs would run free and that is the only time they got exersize because they were eithor chaned up or in their cellar. I would feed them when the dogs were around my place, it was better than them eating garbage. The dogs disapeared one by one after an incident where another neighbors cat escaped the house and one of the dogs attacked and killed it. Well after all was said and done the unlicensed dogs left, Iwas told they went to their uncles farm but later on found out that they were dropped off on the side of the road by a state park. Two montha later they moved away and that was the last that I have seen of them. Pets are wonderful but right now my boys only have fish, when they get older they can get a dog. Over the years I have had three great dogs, who lived their lives out loved and taken care of. It is always hard to have to put down a good friend and I did it three times, now that is dedication that everybody dosen't have and when they get these pets they need to realize that.

I cannot imagien giving one away because they become hard. I have one dog and two cats. My one cat is driving me crazy and my husband wants me to give him away. I cannot do it. Our dog was a rescue dog and she fills a hole we didn't know we had.
I wrote about her: Our dog Molly
pinkkath.gather.com

good article

I spent a lot of years working as a veterinary technician, in several different settings, and it's the same everywhere. There are some people who just think of animals as Dispos-a-Pets, and some of the people I worked with as well. People don't research a breed before they buy it, or whatever. They just think "Oh, what a cute puppy!" and then when it gets too big and its tail knocks things off the coffee table, or it barks too much (Why would anyone get a beagle in the first place, if they wanted a quiet dog?) or it runs away if they let it out and it's not on a leash... or, my favorite of all times... "He was too much work."

I have two cats and a husband who, when I agreed to move in with him, swore he hated cats. He didn't... he just didn't realize it. My cats knew him better than that too. Now he brushes them, pets them, talks sweet to them... I'm so glad he does. I would have hated having to get rid of him for the cats.

I hate irresponsible animal owners!

I just got back from a vacation to Florida. Should have been a fun trip but on the way there I can't tell you how many dogs I saw along the way. One was running along the interstate in the median. It looked terrified. I wasn't driving and my friend didn't want to stop. I don't know what we could have done with it anyway. It's dangerous to stop on the interstate. I still feel bad about it though.

I also saw another dog along the highway. The others I saw were dead. They shouldn't have been loose on the highways. I just hate people who can't make a commitment to a life even a pets life. That's how I got two of my dogs. People got them and didn't want them any more. My cat came from a shelter because her owner died. Older people get animals and don't make arrangements for when they pass on. That's another story though and different from the ones who blatantly just get tired of them or move into a place that doesn't allow animals.

I saw an ad from someone who had a baby and then wanted to get rid of their dog. I wanted so badly to tell her that the dog was there first! I also get pissed at these puppy mills just cranking out puppies that will most likely end up being abandoned when they grow up and the novelty wears off.

OMG! And the people who don't get their female dogs spade! The ones who let their dog have half a dozen litters! I would like to punch them out!

This reminds me that before I left for vacation I got a membership letter from the Humane Society that I need to fill out and send in.

I agree. When I get a pet I do an allergy check (I'm allergic to most furry animals), I get 2 of the same gender (no babies for us!) and check thoroughly how to care for them ahead of taking them home.

It breaks my heart to see abandoned pets. About a year ago they had 6 rabbits running around our house. They were not wild - they were white and black - domestic. They ran free for months and suddenly when the cold weather came they were gone and never seen again. I think someone just dropped them off here (we are borderline in the country) and left them for dead.

I also have worked in an animal shelter,and in animal reseasrch. Neither of which I will ever do again. Way too heartbreaking. I would advise everybody to never get a puppy from a "mill" or pet shop. The shelter is chock full of animals who need someone. And if you dont think an older animal wouldnt work(housebroken or adjust to other animals or kids), most are well screened before they are adopted. I have had the priviledge of grooming some of the meanest "junkyard" dogs and they were the sweetest loving animals. Because they could see someone CARED! I never had to wrestle an abandoned animal. It knew that it had been saved. It was just happy to be alive. THey know! They see more than we give them credit for! The overpopulation is due directly to humans mismanagement! If only we could enforce stricter rules for animals.
I have to content myself with taking into my shelter what ever comes to my attention. My shelter is full and my house is full. I made a commitment to myself a long time ago that I would do everything in my power to save abandoned and neglected animals. It is what I can return to those who cannot speak for themselves. And are at the mercy of humans.

I totally agree. My pets are like little people who I am responsible for. Unfortunitely some people think pets are cute until they realize the amount of care they require, or the costs associated with ownership, or even the amount of property a pet may destroy. Just like some people should not be parents, some people should never own a pet.

I agree with you. My pets are like my children.

It is so sad the way some people treat pets. They are a member of our family.

I so agree with you!

I see all those ads, too! One thing I will say, though, is that a lot of the pets we see really do have to find new homes because the person in the Air Force is sent overseas and can't take the pet with them.

If my husband gets stationed overseas and we can't take our furrbabies with us, they will stay with our parents (the dogs with mine, the cat with his) until we get back. Then we will be taking them to our next duty station.

I can't imagine just giving my pets away. Blackie came up here with me when I got married (my husband had her since she was just a puppy, and had to leave her at his parents' house until he got stationed here and moved out of the dorms). Trixie was a pound dog that was found just running around free.

Trinitie, our cat, came from some neighbors of ours. I didn't want to get a cat, because I was pregnant, but when they said they were just going to dump her somewhere, I knew that we had to take her in. She was just a tiny kitten, only 4 months old or so! That was in October 2005, and I can't imagine our life without her now, just like the dogs!

What a great article with thought provoking questions.
In the area where I live now. I have seen so many animals abandoned, abused, made to fight other dogs, etc. I could get a whole list of what I have seen. The animal hoarders are just as bad and whats worse, these people usually think they are helping the animals. But the main rule of taking care of animals. If you can't take care of them yourself, or get help with taking care of them. Than find someone who can.
I could never understand why people get puppies because they are cute...than don't realize puppies grow up to be dogs. No longer cute as a puppy. But big puppy in a dogs body if not trained right.

I really am for spay and neutering of animals. Plus, all animals and pets being micro chipped. In my area people have been letting their reptiles and snakes loose when they get to be to handle. Thus creating a problem when they started breeding in the wild. Now it is required any reptile or snake 2 inches or longer must be micro-chipped. This will help. Except for the backyard breeders of exotic reptiles or snakes will be hard to make comply.
I also think if people don't want to take the time to train a pet. Than don't get one.
If you don't want the troubles of a puppy. Rescue an older dog. Most are less active and through teh biting or destruction stage.

I just wanted to add...I have two dogs. One is a rescue. Matter of fact I ended rescuing her twice. Long story on that. But I have her back and she is happy to be home. I am also owned by a turtle.

Very good article.


WwW.SparkleTags.Com

Honey, I could not agree with you more. I get so upset from the way humans act and feel toward animals. This is a wonderful posting, you get a 10. Wish I could rate even higher. God bless you.

I wonder too! It makes me mad to see the strays around here. It even bugs me that a woman here bought to Golden Retrievers, let them ahve babies, then sell the babies, and the parents.

She has decided that with her husband leaving for The Sandbox for 15 months, that she is going to move back home to the States. And the apartment she rented, sight unseen, does not allow pets.

At least the family that bought the male, came back today and bought the female too. At least she knows they might be taken care of.

Most of us never know.