Well if you can't care for an animal, a shelter seems a lot nicer than just ditching it in the woods.

downstairs: People are assholes.

this. a pet isn't a fun toy that can be thrown out when you get bored of it. it takes a good amount of commitment, both financially and timewise.
dogs are perfect for anybody, but not everyone is perfect for a dog. i guess the same goes for cats, but i never had one so i wouldn't know.

I have never understood how anyone could give up a pet. My pets are always family and despite their annoying quirks I promised to give them a forever home when I adopted them.
/I really don't trust people that get rid of pets

gadian: Bah, pet stores and shelters should refuse to sell or adopt in the month of December. Pets are not gifts and should not be given to illicit momentary joy.

The Australian Sheppard rescue I work with does exactly this. Dec1 - Dec31, no adoptions are allowed.

downstairs: People are assholes.

More likely, people are stupid.

'Hey times are tough and we are all pretty unhappy due to me/us being out of work a bet a puppy would cheer us up!"

next month...

'shiat we need to move across the country for employment and we will be in an apartment for a while.'

People are assholes too but I think the dumb overrides the asshole most days.

RaceDTruck: A puppy is not a gift, it's a responsibility.

If more people understood that line, we'd live in a much better world.



rescued 4 years ago. She's an amazing friend/companion/member of the family. No other creature on this earth will love you as unconditionally as your dog.

I'm willing to bet that the majority of these people returned those pets when to their "utmost surprise" they came home to find either dog crap on their carpet or cat pee in their shoes.

I hate to see a pet go to an animal shelter, animal shelters will put the pet down, it's a wasted life.

Chinese restaurants however will pay you for the pet, plus the animals death isn't in vain, it serves a purpose.

My aunt would always do this for my cousins. They would have a new dog as a present and then about a year later it was replaced by a new puppy. They all ended up being weirdo Jesus freaks who post things on facebook like "I wanted to see Transformers yesterday but the first showing was too early and the other showing was too late... I guess the Lord is really testing me!"

I'm not sure if those two things are related.

Boeheimian Rhapsody: RaceDTruck: A puppy is not a gift, it's a responsibility.

If more people understood that line, we'd live in a much better world.

[a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net image 640x426]

rescued 4 years ago. She's an amazing friend/companion/member of the family. No other creature on this earth will love you as unconditionally as your dog.

She is a cutie.

We're Christmas dogs dumped by the side of the road,
confused we will run for miles.

How do people not get that any pet or domestic animal is a commitment? A pet in particular is (or should be) a member of the family, be it a hamster that will live maybe two years or a parrot that might outlive you. Sigh. People suck sometimes.

/Already anticipating the usual stories about gift bunnies and ducks come Easter.

distopianDream: I have never understood how anyone could give up a pet. My pets are always family and despite their annoying quirks I promised to give them a forever home when I adopted them.
/I really don't trust people that get rid of pets

Same here. I've had two neighbors get dogs, and suddenly, a few weeks later, the dogs are gone. One told me "I don't know how you do it -- they are so much work!". Yeah, feeding it twice a day, walking it for 20 minutes, and letting it sit with you while you watch TV is a real killer.

The absolute worst are those idiots in their early twenties who live in an apartment they probably won't be in for more than a couple of years who get a dog. I've seen more dogs given up because "my new landlord said I couldn't have a dog" than I like to think about.

merkey88: downstairs: People are assholes.

this. a pet isn't a fun toy that can be thrown out when you get bored of it. it takes a good amount of commitment, both financially and timewise.

This.

I get really annoyed when the shelter here has free adoptions or $1 adoptions. There is no freaking way a pet should be an impulse purchase.

RaceDTruck: A puppy is not a gift, it's a responsibility.

Triple or quadruple this.

Boeheimian Rhapsody: RaceDTruck: A puppy is not a gift, it's a responsibility.

If more people understood that line, we'd live in a much better world.

[a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net image 640x426]

rescued 4 years ago. She's an amazing friend/companion/member of the family. No other creature on this earth will love you as unconditionally as your dog.

Awesome! Although I will say cats are underrated when it come to affection. Mine are very sweet when they get in the mood.

/Of course mine also play fetch, so they could be outliers.

"Gentlemen of the Jury

The best friend a man has in this world may turn against him and become his enemy. His son and daughter that he had reared with loving care may become ungrateful. Those who are nearest and dearest to us, those whom we trust with our happiness and our good name, may become traitors to their faith. The money that a man has, he may lose. It flies away from him when he may need it most. Man's reputation may be sacrificed in a moment of ill considered action. The people who are prone to fall on their knees and do us honor when success is with us may be the first to throw the stone of malice when failure settles its cloud upon our head. The only absolutely unselfish friend a man may have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous is his dog.

A man's dog stands by him in prosperity and poverty, in health and sickness. He will sleep on the cold ground, when the wintry winds blow and the snow drives fiercely, if only he can be near his master's side. He will kiss the hand that has no food to offer, he will lick the wounds and sores that come in encounter with the roughness of the world. He guards the sleep of a pauper as if he were a prince. When all other friends desert... he remains.

When riches take wings and reputations fall to pieces, he is as constant in his love as the sun in its journey through the heavens. If fortune drives the master forth an outcast into the world, friendless and homeless, the faithful dog asks no higher privilege than that of accompanying him to guard him against danger, to fight against his enemies, and when the last scene of all comes, and death takes his master in its embrace and his body is laid away in the cold ground, no matter if all other friends pursue their way, there by his grave side will the noble dog be found, his head between his paws and his eyes sad, but open in alert watchfulness, faithful and true even to death. "
-- George Graham Vest

FriarReb98: downstairs: People are dumb, selfish, ignorant assholes.

FTFY.

This.

I'd rather have the dogs around me.

distopianDream: /I really don't trust people that get rid of pets

I had some neighbors who brought home one dog after another, usually young dogs. They didn't do shiat for them, I think they remembered to water them sometimes. They'd last a few months, then disappear, and another couple would show up. In the winter the pups came into my garage and slept on my rags--I guess it was the closet thing they had to a bed. (Yes, I went in there and fixed it all up for them.)

It wasn't until after I moved that I made the connection between the revolving dogs, the fact that my neighbors were Hispanic, and that there were a WHOLE LOT of pit bulls living in the neighborhood. Those dogs were probably just training meat for the fighting dogs.

Ugh.

We adopted our pitbull mix from animal control in December. He only cost us $25--apparently they have a "Holiday Discount." When we brought him home he only weighed 31 lbs (ideal weight is 50-60) and had been so abused he was terrified of everything. He wouldn't even lift his head up and had a general "Fark you guys" attitude.

Now it's January 23 and our boy weighs 50 lbs, will practically whore himself out for green beans, and is a happy mutt. We can't remember what life was like before we got him and there's not enough money in the world that would entice me to give him back. People who abandon their pets are jerkfaces.

merkey88: dogs are perfect for anybody, but not everyone is perfect for a dog. i guess the same goes for cats, but i never had one so i wouldn't know.

Cat's aren't good for emotionally needy people. That's why you see the crazy old ladies with 10-15 cats: they're trying to get the adoration of one dog.

But seriously, you don't saddle someone with that sort of responsibility without asking, especially when the one who has to deal with the repercussions is the animal.

iollow: Well if you can't care for an animal, a shelter seems a lot nicer than just ditching it in the woods.

Also this. My dog came by way of: some assholes -> county park -> shelter -> home. I just cannot fathom what sort of person would leave a little dog to fend for itself out there.

Grrr. Someone wake up the karma gremlins. There's a lot of brake lines that need trouble.

What I hate is people who get a puppy and then give it up at about 6-9mo. Adolescent puppies are a lot like adolescent humans. They act out. They're overly aggressive. They resent authority. And most of all, they grow out of it. Sure, you want to strangle them with your bare hands because shooting them wouldn't give the same level of satisfaction, but eventually they quit being monsters and start showing you some love and respect.

If puppy owners can just be persuaded to tough it out during those difficult months, lots fewer dogs would make their way into the shelters.

RaceDTruck: A puppy is not a gift, it's a responsibility.

I remember back in collage hearing the whole "look (insert name) got me a puppy isn't cute"? I asked if they knew that dogs can live up to around 17 years, need room to run walks, vet care and let out about 4 times a day. Blank stares were my reply. It's a living being and in most cases the best friend that you could ask for.

Ugh, that means we're going to be hearing that terrible Sarah McLachlan song an awful lot this year.

I have actually adopted a dog. All my pets find me and we were/are together for the rest of their lives.

Jerkwater: The absolute worst are those idiots in their early twenties who live in an apartment they probably won't be in for more than a couple of years who get a dog. I've seen more dogs given up because "my new landlord said I couldn't have a dog" than I like to think about.

That's why we have Milton.

Dogs don't abandon their humans. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man.

merkey88: dogs are perfect for anybody, but not everyone is perfect for a dog. i guess the same goes for cats, but i never had one so i wouldn't know.

Cats are easier to care for, though plenty of idiots and assholes manage to fark even this up. Allergies aside, I wouldn't say cats are perfect for anybody because any affection you get from a cat is the product of personal, emotional investment. If you do the bare minimum, what you get is a freeloading roommate instead of an affectionate companion, which defeats the purpose of even the little effort it takes to have a cat in the first place.

rpm: merkey88: downstairs: People are assholes.

this. a pet isn't a fun toy that can be thrown out when you get bored of it. it takes a good amount of commitment, both financially and timewise.

This.

I get really annoyed when the shelter here has free adoptions or $1 adoptions. There is no freaking way a pet should be an impulse purchase.

I'd rather see a poor person adopt a sponsored dog than get one that is not fixed from a neighbor or friend.

I get ASPCA updates on my FB page so imagine my shock and horror this past Christmas when they ran a notice saying something to the effect of "Hurry! You can still make it to the ASPCA and get your family the gift of love and loyalty!" The comments were awash with pissed off animal lovers who were really resentful of the fact that such an organization would encourage the whole getting pets as a gift thing. I don't entirely blame them though. It's winter and they're having a hard time moving out animals as it is, but it would only bite them in the ass down the road.

Almost 7 years ago, for my dad's birthday, my mother's gift to him that he can go out and get a dog like he'd been wanting for a few years. Like a 10 year old kid she gleefully went out and did the research and found his dream puppy and was happy and joyful about it. Then he got bored and mom became the primary care taker, as what most moms become, don't they?

/That dog is as dumb as a rock but at least my parents didn't abandon her when we realized that

Fiona. My wife and I picked her up in August. Some asshole dropped her off on the side of a major highway and took off. Good for me, too bad for them. Awesome dog.

/Potty trained herself.
//Little worried that she is trying to figure out how to open the sliding glass door.

dragonchild: Dogs don't abandon their humans. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man

tell that to my dog when he spots a candy wrapper when we are out walking.

evilwhiteguy: Ugh, that means we're going to be hearing that terrible Sarah McLachlan song an awful lot this year.

Let me get that started for you:

In the arms of an angel
Fly awayyyyyyy from here!
From this dark, cooooooooold hotel room,
And the endlessness that you fear.
You are pullllllled from the wreckage,
Of your siiiiiiiiiiiiiilent reverie.
You're in the arrrr rrrm ems of the angel,
May you fii aye eee aye iiind some comfort here.

Spike is inconsolable

Last Christmas, I bought a puppy from a store at the mall for my step-daughter. The puppy was adorable and she truly enjoyed opening it on Christmas morning. Her eyes lit up, and for a moment, it was like I was her real dad and not just the guy sleeping with her mom. I made it clear that she was responsible for the dog's upkeep. She wholeheartedly agreed to feed, water, walk, and bathe it. Of course, that didn't last.

Now, mind you, I knew going into it that I'd most likely be the one taking care of the dog. I was okay with that. I'm not going to force responsibility on my step-daughter as though she were one of my real children. Besides, at eleven years old, how much could she reasonably handle? She barely makes her breakfast in the morning and packs her lunch, which is mostly junk food anyway. The point I'm trying to make is that she's irresponsible and can't be trusted, so I knew that I'd take over the dog duties.

When I bought the dog, they said that it would grow to be twenty to twenty-five pounds. Well, six months later, with my step-daughter completely ignoring the dog, the thing weighed almost sixty pounds. It wasn't that long legged, so it looked like a walking barrel. Pretty embarrassing to have in the yard. My step-daughter was over it, I was over it, so I wanted to return it to the mall. Well low-and-behold, the store throws this "contract" in my face which in the fine print states that they do not accept returns. That's a pretty nice setup for them, isn't it? Get to sell a faulty product and then refuse to take it back?

I had no other choice but to take it to the shelter. The first place I went said that they could only accept strays. They didn't take unwanted pets. The fat bottomed lady behind the counter got all high handed, calling me neglectful and pointing out the dog's weight problem, which I don't imagine made it feel any better about itself. So, I took it to another shelter across town and told them that I'd found the dog wandering alongside the road and I didn't want it to get hit by a car. They were incredibly nice about it and treated me like a hero, which is something I'm not accustomed to with my little brat of a step-daughter. Unfortunately, the shelter was overcrowded so they took the dog directly back for euthanasia.

There's plenty of blame to go around here - the mall pet shop, my irresponsible step-daughter (now ex-step-daughter), the animal shelter racket, but mostly I blame the dog.

evilwhiteguy: Ugh, that means we're going to be hearing that terrible Sarah McLachlan song an awful lot this year.

That commercial can really ruin your day.

This thread is like the PETA network. Wait till Easter when millions of baby chicks and bunnies get flushed down the toilet because shelters don't take them.

I hate people.

We adopted one of our cats from an animal shelter and he and another one our cats hated each other. It was a bloodbath if they saw each other at all--worse than a normal cat fight. It never crossed our minds to return him. We rotate them so that one is safely in a bedroom while the other one runs around the house for a few hours, and then we switch them.

We've got too many cats as is, otherwise I'd adopt more. We've adopted a kitten we found under a car, one that was dumped on the side of a highway and two more kittens that were under a house.

Nice thing about Ontario - pet bans by landlords are unenforceable by law.

If you're not prepared to treat a nonhuman companion like you would your own child, don't go through with the adoption. Sure as shiat don't adopt one "for your child to raise" then dump the poor creature a few months later when your little snowflake gets bored.