Thread: An Open Letter to Mr. and Mrs. Average Pet Owner

Good evening, Randy

Must be you don't get enough of my bloviating over at SMF

Actually, you seem to understand pet ownership better than many pet owners. Simply put, consider what is best for the animal. You're right: why would a dog want to sit in a hot car all day?

I'm a rottweiler guy: I had one for nine years before he passed and my mother has one now. My old house had 7 acres of land, much of it fenced for him to run about. My new house sits on about 3/4 of an acre. As much as I'd love another rottie, I don't have the space for one or the time to exercise him elsewhere. So, I don't have a rottie: wouldn't be fair to the dog.

Cheers,
Robert

Robert, Thats so true. I grew up in the country with large dogs (german shepards and labradors) but now i live in the suburbs with a small yard. So now i have a small dog, who thinks she is a large dog. The yard is big enough for her during the day, she has free rein to go in and out when she wants, and we take her for long walks around the neighborhood and take her hiking. She also LOVES to go camping. When i start to load the car she will not let us out of her sight because she thinks we will leave her, even though we never have and when we make camping reservations if they don't allow dogs we don't camp there. So in short, if people not willing to treat their animals like they are their children with all the benefits and love that it entails they shouldn't have them.

Jmy. Ellis

A friend of mine once put it this way:

"They're not people; but they're family."

Deepweeds

Originally Posted by RVL Saratoga

Along similar lines, I've been active in racehorse rescue. It is shocking that someone can callously discard an animal that has earned for them and given until it literally hurts. I understand how expensive it is to keep horses in training: I get those bills, too. However, if you can't afford to see a horse through its post-racing days, you can't afford to race. If you can't retire a horse sound and healthy and fit for a career as a pleasure mount, rather than squeezing out a final race or two, you aren't fit to own them.

Regards,
Robert

Robert, my wife and I do the same thing with x-racing greyhounds. To date we have fostered 6 dogs, we own 2 and we have one at the bridge. Pet ownership is a great responsibility that many people take likely. Many animals are put down because people are done with them. While I'm greatly saddened by the loss of any hound, I am encouraged with the many placements that our organization has made.
BTW-if you're not sure what the bridge is, click here , but be careful reading this if you've ever lost a pet that was a member of the family!
-Fred

JL, you are right on the money. I think people should not be allowed to "buy" a pet until they have proven that they can take care of it, come hell or high water.

I have three cats. All wonderful characters and none that I bought. Two I got when their original owners decided that a kitten is not for them. That was 12 years ago. The last we picked up two years ago when someone abandoned this nine month old north of Montereal. He was already a house cat, would not leave my side and could not survive the winter if left to his own devices.

So I say right on. Step on as many toes as you can. Maybe that will make these people think twice the next time they think they want a pet.

Originally Posted by cudahogs

BTW-if you're not sure what the bridge is, click here , but be careful reading this if you've ever lost a pet that was a member of the family!
-Fred

Our vet sent us a sympathy card when we put an animal down, with the rainbow bridge on it along with a personal note from himself and the staff. He's helped ease the pain for two of our beloved family members. Chester was a black sabertooth cat with a Mike Tyson meow... he fought a lot and ended up with FeLV -- feline leukemia. He would get sick, then get better with antibiotics, be good for a while, then repeat. Eventually he didn't get better because his immune system was shot. Keiko was a German Shepherd. The runt of the litter she weighed in at about 85 pounds. Hip displaysia and arthritis were the last straw. I really hated to see such a beautiful animal's life end like it did. Her spirit was willing, but her body just couldn't go anymore. The rainbow bridge is a really powerful statement, and reminded me of just how much I miss my dear friends.

Originally Posted by sensei_kyle

The rainbow bridge is a really powerful statement, and reminded me of just how much I miss my dear friends.

Yes, it is a powerful statement, I still can't finish it with dry eyes. Very sorry to hear about your losses.
-Fred

I've had pets for as long as I could remember. We started with a german shep -- Mica, who lived to the age of 15. I felt sorry that we couldn't take her to Canada with us, but she was already getting very old and we didn't know if she could survive the quarantine, so my grandma took care of her until she had to be put down. We literally grew up together.
Since then, we had 2 cats, both adoptions. One from a neighborhood cat's litter. Lucky Thomas Tiger's been with us for about 6-7 years and is (knock on wood) a perfectly healthy neutered house-cat.
The Bandit was literally a wildlife rescue. His mom was killed by a wild animal in a rural area 1hr north of Toronto and his litter-mates were already starved to death when my stepfather found him, so underdeveloped that he was mouse-sized. We took care of him as best as we could, but he always had health problems and died of a heart attack (on his way to the vet's) at the age of 5.

In any case, they all made great pets but next time I get an animal, I will adopt a "domestic" dog or cat, probably at least a year old. They are less likely to be adopted by people who want cute kittens and puppies with mile-long pedigrees, thus more likely to be put to sleep simply b/c noone wants them.

Therefore, gentlemen, if you're considering getting a pet, give a mutt a chance! They make great pets and its more likely that your adoption will save that animal's life.