Disturbing Shelter Show
By mode09
@mode09 (158)
United States
February 2, 2008 10:14am CST
I saw a cable channel of Dogs in the area up for adoption. I was expecting to see puppies, but what suprised me was they were all older dogs. Now I understand that dogs end up in a situation like this when their owners have to go to a nursing home or die or something similar, but it sounds like a lot of these dogs were given up after years of living with their former owners for selfish or crazy reasons. The first dog they showed I believe was given up after 7 years because the dog had fleas!!? So they could not get flea medicine from the vet? I think that owners like this should be required to pay for food, vet treatment, advertising and shelter costs weekly until the animal is adopted. The animal's life should not be put in danger because the owner decided after a long period of time to selfishly kick it out of their life when the animal is approaching it's senior years. What do you think?
2 people like this
4 responses
@bonbon664 (3466)
• Canada
3 Feb 08
I am involved in animal rescue, and some of the reasons we get for people giving up dogs is unbelievable. A lot of times people simply can't afford to care for them due to changes in their life situaion. So, asking them to pay would be unreasonable for some. I just wish people would realize that pet ownership is like a 10-20 year committment that should be taken seriously.
1 person likes this
@pergammano (7682)
• Canada
3 Feb 08
In my real world, taking on the responsibilty of having a pet, is the same decision I made when having a child. Seems like a big comparison, but in my books it's the same! In my books, I would always have a "runaway" lane open!
Someone whom I love & trust,who loves animals that offers to step in if something goes wrong in my world. Luckily, I have a wonderful son,,, we always discuss indepth before I committ to another pet!
@polachicago (18716)
• United States
2 Feb 08
I agree. What people don't understand is that animals have emotions like people do. They don't understand why they are separated and they miss the owner very much.
People have to understand also that you take animal forever and this is a life commitment.
@onesiobhan (1327)
• Canada
2 Feb 08
I absolutely agree. Right now there are people who get a new pet every few years and then just drop it off at a shelter when they get bored with it, or don't have time to discipline it. Then they are free to adopt another one a couple of years later.
The only downside to this idea is that it will lead to more people just abandoning their pets when they are tired of them.
@jhl930 (3601)
• United States
2 Feb 08
I don't think that you should just kick a dog out of your house for any reason(other than it like hurting someone or even worse)and especially when the dog gets older because dogs do get attached to their owners and dogs do have feelings just like every other living thing....and to keep the dog for that many years and then to kick it out just because the dog got old i think that is really a horrible thing to do...I am almost willing to bet that if that person was older and living with someone that they wouldnt like it if they were kickedout!
