BAD REASONS FOR SURRENDERING YOUR PET

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These comments have been borrowed from many rescuers.
They are actual comments quoted from the person who wrote them.
The names have been removed, but the quotes are in original format..

 

BAD REASONS TO GIVE UP YOUR PET - FROM IRRESPONSIBLE PET OWNERS

I am a rescuer in Ohio, and I must say, my absolute least favorite reason for surrendering a dog was, and I am quoting, "the stupid dog got pregnant." Apparently it was the poor "stupid" girl's fault for letting herself be tied outside while in heat, and for not taking herself to the vet to be spayed. Oh, by the way, he kept one of the puppies. At least the mamma dog is spayed now, and won't ever make that "stupid" mistake again."

"Because he flattens the grass when he sits on it."

"I heard a reason a lady dumped her dog that will blow your mind. It's not military but sad all the same. She was redecorating her home and she bought new furniture. Well her dalmation no longer matched the furniture so she got rid of him. That's what I call sick!!!"

"In doing rescue, we hear some very good ones. A very common response from the people dumping the loyal companion is to ask if the new home is a good home and will they take care of the dog. We always answer that it most certainly will be as good as the last one. Two of the most inexcusable and very sad reasons we got for dumping the dogs were: A couple had Adam for 7 years and they decided to give the dog to rescue because they could not "bear to see it get old" and "it would be too stressful to have to deal with the dying issue, because we love Adam so much." These people went out and adopted a puppy immediately after dumping Adam. They called every couple of months for quite some time to see if Adam was still alive and if the new home was treating him well. They really were concerned he was getting the care he deserved. The other was priceless. After having a companion for their son from birth to 9 years old, Leroy was given to rescue because the parents did not want their son to go through the trauma of seeing Leroy die, nor did they want the responsibility and expense for that time. It was pointed out that this example could be very damaging to them and the boy. The boy was losing his "true friend and companion." Not to mention lifes lessons of responsibility and respect of the elderly. We also pointed out, if the son was to learn from this lesson how to deal with their aging, it would not be in their favor. Possibly he would deal with them in the same manner and dump "the old" before they died, because of the expense, trauma, responsibilty. This is the message and example they gave their child. We certainly would not offer old human rescue. "

"Some people came into our local Humane Society wanting to return a puppy they had adopted because it was to active and was jumping up on their small children. They wanted to trade the puppy for a younger puppy. To my surprise the shelter was going to allow the trade! I was able to talk to the shelter manager alone for a few minutes and asked her why these people were being allowed to adopt another puppy when they could not deal with the one they already had. The people went home without a puppy, thank goodness. The Humane Society changed their policy after that and now require a waiting period for people who turn in a pet before they can adopt another pet."

"I hear can we trade our 3,4,5 etc,year old in for a puppy? "

"For a doberman that was purchased as a puppy and they live in an appartment: "It grew too big." duh, Doberman a small dog, not."

"I work at a Humane Society and have heard it all. The best one is "We just got new carpet and the cat doesn't match." After dumping the cat, they went through the shelter looking for one that was the "right" color. Needless to say, she didn't get one from us!! My husband and I are new to the military. Our first duty station is Germany. We WILL be taking our dog, no matter what!! "

"He's just too stupid to be housebroken," was the reason given for the last pup I took into rescue. They'd only had the pup a few weeks and were "training" it, if you can call it that, with the "rub it's nose in it and beat it if it has an accident but don't let it out until it's bladder is about to burst" method."

"A lady turned in her cat to our shelter because she said "it stole her child's breath away". She said she was the cat jump up on the toddler while she was asleep and put her mouth on the toddler's mouth and began sucking her breath away. The lady swore up and down that she actually saw the breath/soul glowing as the cat kept stealing the child's breath. Hmm...old wive's tale but nevertheless, the lady sincerely thought that that happened so she wanted the cat out of the house."

"My husband adopted a cat (about 13 y/o), she was given for adoption through a news ad: "free to a good home". The reason the woman gave was that after having the three cats and two dogs, she and her husband decided they were only going to keep the two dogs. The other one of the other two cats was adopted the same day "Fluffy" was...we do not know about the third cat. The cats were all placed in a basement and "Fluffy" looked terrible! She is now a beautiful/healthy Main Coon and she adores my husband. Animals do know or feel these situations and show us in
many ways how much they appreciate it when they are saved. People really need to think hard before they take the responsibility of a pet or multiple pets and not get carried away by the excitement of the moment! It makes me very sad and upset that people are still dumping animals.."

"Our NEW apartment doesn't allow pets" That's the most common one I hear at my rescue.

"It doesn't like the new puppy."

"I've heard of people needing to fly instead of drive...and using the excuse that airlines will no longer accept pets. The animals end up in the cargo area and die from stress and lack of adiquate ventilation. They end up "dumping" their pets."

"I didn't know it was going to get so BIG!"....... of a doberman/lab mix pup that probably weighed 40 lbs..... next thing out of their mouths? "Do you have any puppies?"

"A shelter worker overheard the mother say to the little girl "I TOLD you if you didn't clean your room, I'd get rid of the dog". This said as the little girl is crying terribly, and the dog is whining, being taken away."

"The dog doesn't match my new carpet.... "

" Have to get rid of the dog, as it doesn't like the husband's parole officer, and he's coming around tomorrow - this call was received at 2AM !!!!!!!!!!! I suggested she get rid of the husband and keep the dog *g* "

"The dog peed on the floor when we went on vacation for the weekend, or kids don't want him anymore."

"Because she doesn't DO anything (said of a senior lab adopted out of our shelter after we spent a great deal of time making sure they understood this was no spring chicken)."
Thursday, March 9th 2000 - 01:10:11 AM

"Because he doesn't match the furniture...."

"And my all-time favorite is one I saw on a Lab Rescue list. "Had dog tied to truck. Sold truck."

"The hardest cases I see are the ones where an owner is giving up a pet after ten years because it's suddenly inconvenient. These older pets have nearly no hope of being adopted, and many shelters will euthanize them immediately to save space for younger and more adoptable animals. The shelters are not at fault for this, they have to do the most good with the least resources and can't
afford to spend these resources on an animal who won't ever find a home."

 

 

TRANSLATIONS/SOLUTIONS FOR BAD REASONS TO GIVE UP YOUR PET

1. "Got too big." (Particularly Rotties).
In rescue- speak, this means the dog was never trained, socialized, neutered, and exercised, so it got out of control.

2. "We're having a baby."
Yes, there are concerns with pets and children. But properly trained, introduced and
SUPERVISED, there generally isn't a problem.

3. "My wife is allergic."
Often hard to believe that after you've had a dog for five years your adult spouse suddenly developed an allergy.

4. "We're moving to another state."
What state doesn't allow pets?

5. "We bred our dog because we wanted our children to see the "miracle of birth" but now we can't find homes for the puppies."
(This one makes me want to pull my hair out. Rent a video.)

6. "Barks all night."
So would I if I was tied up in a yard all alone.

7. "My dog doesn't like my new boyfriend/girlfriend." (or vice versa)
Perhaps there's a reason? Even if there isn't, do you think it's OK to dump a companion who has
dedicated its life to you to for one who just came along and doesn't even respect you enough to get along with a beloved companion?

 

 

WHAT RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERS DO

"I have a hard time understanding stupid people. I LOVE my animals. If I could have more I would. But I know there is a lifetime commitment and I know I do not have the resources at this time to have more. Would you give up your child because he/she "didn't match the furniture" or "flattened the grass"(by the way..that was the dumbest comment I have ever heard!)??? I didn't think so."

"Many people, in my opinion, shouldn't have children either!"

"My boyfriend and I own a rottweiler, because of this, it is nearly impossible for us to move. We can't live in an apartment because most apartments won't allow dogs and we don't want a home where our rottwieler is cramped. We can't obtain a mortgage because we don't make enough money. Many people say to us "Why don't you just get rid of her so you can move?" To these people I simply respond "That is NOT an option". Our rottie came to us suddenly, and unexpectedly, but she is ours nonetheless. We would never dream of "Giving her up" to accommodate our needs. She is a living breathing being with feelings and emotions like anyone else. One person even had the nerve to say "She's a dog, she has no feelings, she won't know any better". Sometimes I wonder where these people come from. I would rather spend the time looking for a solution that accommodates my dog's needs, than buy into the idea that I should not consider the well being of MY PET who is MY RESPONSIBILITY. Not to mention that I love her with all my heart. It's amazing to me how heartless people can be when they give up their pets to make their lives easier. A pet is not a possesion, it is a privelage. One to which most people should not be given the right. "

 

 

MILITARY DUMPINGS / SOLUTIONS

"... i have been in the army for 15 years. we're on our way back to germany and nothing is going to change that. our three year old female pit bull accompined us over no easy task. seems germans fear pit bulls. well to make along story short were on our way to thr teirheim today to drop here
off. She has the same status as a loaded weapon in this country, and people treat us as though we were brandishing a weapon when we walk her down the street. We have kept here in the house now for almost a year. we both work and the dog is not living well with all the changes and has started some new behaviors that are not that cool. I cant say what triggers here agressiveness it wasnt present before we moved. i think the isolation, fear, loss of freedom of our yard and change. has been to much. she knocked down our 5 year old to get to my wife first for a hug and growels at anyone who speaks german for no reason. biggest problemm is that no one wants a used pit-bull, cant say that i would sometimes the dog scares me and i an 220 at 6'4. wish that ther was another choice here i though about just putting her down, but there is a chance that someone PCS'ing back to the states might take her. to own the dog in germany you must have accomplished the following
thing. take a test in german written and demonstation of ability to controll(dangerous animal),if you both pass then you must carry the permit at all times when in public. the dog will always beleashed, a muzzel will be worn in the city at all time even on base. the own must pay a special tax for the privlage of owning a fighting dog and have a recognized need for this animal, and lastly a tax of 1000dm per year. i think that was all of it. i have been dealing with this for almost a year now perhaps you could help and give me some idear about what to do. ps this dog is also a regular dog and likes to dog things 100% dig, smell, run , fight, bark, and please its owners."

"His heart is in the right place, but he should have checked this out first before he put the dog through all of this. Many people PCS to Germany. Perhaps he could have emailed or called the duty station in Germany to find this information out."

"I am a military wife. Hubby's been in the USMC for 12 years. We've ALWAYS kept our animals from duty station to duty station and YES it was a pain driving from Cali to NC in the middle of summer with 2 dogs and 3 kids in a little ford Tempo, but darn it WE LOVE THESE DOGS and would NEVER
DUMP them! No pain, no gain right?"

"Well, yes, many military families just dump their animals every time they move to a new duty station, but I would like to say that we have met and known, and are one of the many military families that DO love their pets and take them to any duty station!

"My friend who's in the Navy just flew her 2 cats to Cuba with her for her deployment. It was a pain for her getting all the health certificates for them but she did it and is happy as can be they are with her :-)"

"Not all military families are terrible pet owners. I hate to be classed among those who doesn't care about animals just because we are military. Its not fair! WE're not all terrible pet owners :( "

(said of another site)..
"I refer your sight to everyone I meet and I also ask that they all read, "My Name Is Sam." I rescue animals at Fort Monmouth and Fort Dix in NJ and the stories don't change.\

"I do see animals so easily dispersed of in military families. Here are many resons why...."

1) They get too big of a dog and the dog digs up their yard in base housing & the Housing Manager gives them a ticket. So they dump the dog to prevent future tickets.

2) Base housing has the rule 2 Pets maximum. Well, the lady across the street from me at this moment has 3 dogs and is getting 2 kittens next week. Neighbors are bound to complain to the Housing Manager and the animals will get dumped! No doubt about it!

3) Another Base Housing rule is that all animals in Housing HAS to be registered with Base Animal Control. There is a fee for this that MANY miliary family doesn't want to pay. If their animal is found outside unregistered, the occupants either deny its their pet and let it get taken
away, or take the pet and say, "We just got the animal yesterday and haven't had time to register it." Then they dump the animal the next day at the local animal shelter OFF BASE!

4) MANY military family are lazy (Cheap) and don't have their pets spayed or neutered. And then when the animals get pregnant, they dump them.

5) Base housing rules states if you want to have your dog outside either it has to be chained up or in a fence. Many people are too lazy to put up a fence so they chain the dog up. The dog breaks the chain or what have you and runs loose in the neighborhood. After several times, the owners
get tired of all the complaining neighbors and chasing the dog so they dump it.

 

HERE'S A POSSIBLE SOLUTION FOR SOME PEOPLE

"Been sitting here reading about some of the stories about pets being dumped at pounds for one reason or the other. I started a Pet Sitting Service here in my home town since some people prefer alternative to kennels, In home Pet Sitting. I go to people's homes and care for their animals while they are away or in hospital or whatever, so the animal stays in their natural surroundings."

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