• Pat I couldn't agree with you more.

    The vet care is a big one that people don't take into account, especially when they get a pup at a young age. I mean, after all, what vet care does a pup or dog need before 5 (some people's thinking - NOT mine) :rolleyes::rolleyes:. They can just take their animal to the local pet store get a vaccine for $10, that's all they need, right? If they can't properly afford to care for the pet (whether food or vetting) the pet is better off in another home, IMHO. I'm sure I'll get slammed for that.

    I see people add pets (cats/dogs/horses) to their home all the time, have lots of animals and then when one of them gets truly sick not get it vet care (ride it out instead of spend some money to help the animal) - and these are people that aren't destitute (or at least appear not to be - big houses, fancy cars).

    When Brando broke his leg and I was at the Emergency Vet, you would not believe the number of calls that came in. The receptionist would tell them there was an automatic $89 charge for just seeing the animal - nearly every caller hung up. I was really shocked - if you are calling an emergency vet, doesn't the animal need care?


  • Before I came out on the road, I considered starting a pet "ambulance" service. (I was a people EMT.) There are a lot of folks who don't know which vets are available in evenings, especially in rural areas. I would have doubled it as pet taxi for routine vet and grooming visits. There are elderly and disabled folks who can't get their animals to these locations. I didn't have an appropriate vehicle at the time, just an open-bed pickup.
    Transportation is another reason some pets don't get the care they need.


  • @renaultf1:

    Pat I couldn't agree with you more.

    The vet care is a big one that people don't take into account, especially when they get a pup at a young age. I mean, after all, what vet care does a pup or dog need before 5 (some people's thinking - NOT mine) :rolleyes::rolleyes:. They can just take their animal to the local pet store get a vaccine for $10, that's all they need, right? If they can't properly afford to care for the pet (whether food or vetting) the pet is better off in another home, IMHO. I'm sure I'll get slammed for that.

    I see people add pets (cats/dogs/horses) to their home all the time, have lots of animals and then when one of them gets truly sick not get it vet care (ride it out instead of spend some money to help the animal) - and these are people that aren't destitute (or at least appear not to be - big houses, fancy cars).

    When Brando broke his leg and I was at the Emergency Vet, you would not believe the number of calls that came in. The receptionist would tell them there was an automatic $89 charge for just seeing the animal - nearly every caller hung up. I was really shocked - if you are calling an emergency vet, doesn't the animal need care?

    No slam from me, I totally agree… and if you think about it... if you really love your pet.. then maybe the kindest thing you can do is re-home.....

    It is the people that just "dump" the dog, move and let it, turn it loose on the street, etc... that really get to me...

  • Houston

    I agree Pat, you are right, We just went through a rough time ourselves, were my husband changed jobs (in may) and his old job refused to pay him his over $12,000.00 outstanding pay, with no money coming in from the new job( he is on staright commission, so ususally paychecks don't happen until 30-60-sometimes even 90 days later) and this old boss refusing pay (it got ugly, correct authorities were informed and we won) but still 4+ months before we saw a decent paycheck, it is tough, and he is our sole provider.. So now we are in debt up to our eyeballs, but handling it and moving on..that being said, I would not let me pets go easily…or at all.
    Here in Houston, there are plenty of apartments that do take dogs, so if we had to move, we would have to look for an apartment like that..not one that doesn't except pets..
    Yes food gets costly and of course vetting even more so..
    luckily Houston has not had it as bad as some other areas in the country, so I am not in the same boat as a lot of people, thus they are giving their pets up..
    It is hard, and must be such a hard decision to make, you'd think, I don't wish that upon anybody.

    Renault1, I agree with you too.


  • I think this man is being responsible. And I can see where a career change or economic difficulty can force the re-homing of a loved pet.

    I get irritated when I see someone say, "Oh, I just don't want him any more." Like an animal is a piece of old furniture that they can just throw away.

    I have to ask people who say that why they didn't think about a fifteen-year or more commitment before that animal invested its emotional capital in them. Kind of like a verbal whack upside the head.


  • There's a lot of rentals available out there due to people going crazy buying houses up to rent them and creating a glut. So there's a good chance you can negotiate having pets. You may have to pay some extra security money up front but you can get it back if there's no damage when you leave. Having rental money coming in is better than an empty house/apartment.


  • BMama-You're the best!

    My dogs are my family - they stay.


  • I think its often good these folks get the dogs into rescue. The last few I have seen have been pretty thin and needed vetting. At least we can get them treated and rehomed.
    Often the dogs are so happy to be well cared for, they don't even look back!


  • AJ has been the best dog I've ever had. I think it has to do with the fact he's a rescue boy. He knows which side of the bread his butter's on.


  • Does this boy have a home yet?

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