March 2, 2009 Disposable Pets

Disposable Pets

When you get a pet, it is for life. I know sometimes, things happen, sometimes it isn’t a perfect match and sometimes you are lucky enough to find just the perfect home for a pet you adopted. However, that isn’t the norm.
It’s one thing to be asked to many different people to help them to re-home a pet. It’s another thing entirely to be asked by the same people over and over who never learn their lesson. As soon as they get rid of one dog, they go get another one! I’ve heard excuses from “I’m allergic” to “we just got new furniture and the dog doesn’t match it”! Rescues hear these excuses often. The problem is, there just aren’t enough good homes to go around. We have way too many animals and not enough good homes, the majority of them end up euthanized.
Many rescues won’t adopt out pets before Christmas due to this very same thing, people adopt a dog or cat, and a few months later, they are tired of them and they give them away, sell them, or just leave them tied up outside and ignore them.
Most people don’t research the breed of dog or cat they get and just fall in love with the baby animal and take it home, only to discover that it grows too big, sheds too much, require professional grooming regularly, is too high energy for their lifestyle, or just have no clue how to train the dog and get frustrated. Therefore, it goes up on bulletin boards at the local grocery, “FREE TO GOOD HOME” or in the newspaper, or ends up at the humane society. What makes people look at pets as disposable? How can we teach people not to do this?
Often many rescuers with the right heart, but adds to the problem is “enabling” people. They take in the poor pet to help the pet but that frees up space for the former owner to do it all over again. The cycle continues until someone finally puts their foot down and refuses to take the animal. The problem is the animal is the one who suffers. People must be held accountable for getting that pet, and dealing with the problems.
Some people do the unthinkable and end the life of the pet themselves, or dump it out in the country figuring someone will take it in. We are seeing more and more of this as our economy declines.
One thing we can do is to spay and neuter all of our pets so we can at least prevent more pets from facing the same fate. Rescues and shelters are packed to the brim with animals trying to find homes for them.
I get many emails daily from rescue lists that go to shelters and pull dogs that are going to be put to sleep soon. They are desperate to find good homes for these dogs that are no longer cute and cuddly, and have grown up and gone through the obnoxious puppy stage that the former owner couldn’t’ deal with. These dogs are put into shelters and given just a few days to become adopted or they will be euthanized. Yet everyone seems to want a puppy instead. Most of the time these dogs just need a stable home and someone to pay some attention to it and they fit right in. I’ll take an older dog over a puppy any day just because of the work and time involved in raising a puppy. I’ve had nothing but good luck with every adult dog and cat I’ve rescued in my lifetime.
That being said, I know my limits. I know that I cannot take on another animal at this time and give it all it needs in this economy. My house is full! So before you fall in love with that puppy and take it home, consider the costs of not only food, but shots, spaying or neutering, flea control, heartworm medicine year round and emergency vet visits because you just never know what can happen. Free to good home doesn’t mean free for life. Pets are like children, they are solely dependant on your for their food and care, and you have to be ready to take on that responsibility for the next 10, 15 or 20 years. When you have problems, seek help. Don’t dump them out in the country and hope for the best.