Irresponsible Pet Owners Make Me SO Sad

I wrote this in my journal but wanted a little converstaion about it - what do you think makes people treat their pets this way?  Here's the story:

This morning we arrived at the office and some MORON left 2 cages enclosing 7 sugar gliders outside our back door.  The cages were filthy and the little creatures were terrified.  In one cage there was a mommy and 2 little babies, and 2 other adults - the babies were big enough to be outta the pouch but not big enough to climb into the little beds so they were sprawled out crying.  These little animals require special care and foods.  I found a rescue couple (bless them) who met me half way between my office and their home.  That's all the people who abandoned these babies had to do - make a call and relinquish them safely to a rescue group - not leave them out in the weather and hope we found them in time.  Chaps my butt that the people who supposedly accepted responsibility for these little lives don't check out their care requirements before they bring them home - these guys live 12 - 15 years! Hope they don't have any children they get tired of.

I don't understand how people can do that. My two kitties were from 2 separate litters taht were abandoned by theri mommies and luckily someone was nice enough to taek them in and find homes for them. Any animal I ever take in as a pet will be from a shelter or something b/c there are so many animals that need homes.

I know - within the last week, I have taken in 2 nursing kitties whose mommy was hit by a car and an older kitty that was running loose in a neighborhood.  People brought them in the front door and asked what they could or should do.  If possible - we take them or the local shelter takes them or the SPCA takes them, and then get them adopted out - if not, we'll help them find a rescue group to place them - there is no excuse for just  abandoning them!  Everyone needs to spay and neuter - and visit a shelter to see why!

Over xmas i read about 2 pups that had been found abandoned at a school.. one was 10 weeks the other was 4 weeks old. They were rescued and rehomed but my word. I got my dog from a rescue home when he was 4 months old, they'd had him a month and the pound had him before that so i dread to think how old he was when he kicked out. We've not got him neutered but he's only ever got out once since we've had him (he's 19 months old now) and i only let him off his lead when no one's around. 

My Bubba and his sibling were rescued kittens.  Apparently there were more kittens in the litter, but they died when the mother cat and babies were put out by their owner.  The mother and these two were taken to the shelter by a neighbor.  The mother was in such bad shape she had to be euthanized.

If you can afford it, donate money to spay and neuter programs! 

Sugar gliders are such beautiful little creatures.  I hate to see them in cages.

What's our obsession with more and more exotic pets. These animals should be living naturally in the wild. I hadn't even heard of this animal, I  had to look it up on google! 

I know what you mean about caging them in - the people who took them had big play areas and soft sleeping pouches - they are darling little babies but require a lot of special care since they were removed from their natural environment - and they need room to run and play - they are nocturnal and marsupials - cute but don't belong in most homes!

Minbin - please think about having your boy neutered even if he's rarely out - even on one outing he could find a female (or two) and get her pregnant - besides it's healthier for him and will reduce that urge to escape or roam.

I am constantly astounded by the things people do to animals. My favorite show to watch is Detriot Animal Cops on Animal Planet but I seirously just sit there and cry. If people can't handle the responsibilites of having pets they shouldn't get them in the first place...so horrifying!!

PS - what are "sugar gliders"?

sunshinelvr,

Heres a photo of a sugar glider

http://www.sugar-glider.fr/avatar_sugar-glide r.jpg

I have two dogs, and both of them are from an animal shelter.  We got one of our dogs from an animal shelter in Georgia (I live in Dallas, TX).  The shelter was completely full because so many pet owners had been deployed to Iraq, and they were going to start putting animals to sleep if they couldn't find homes for them.

I would take them all in if I could! =D 

awww thats so sad.   i was at the dog park with my dog today and he was wrestling with another dog and backed up into a hole and popped his knee out of his joint :(  poor pup.  i feel bad about that, let alone people that just leave animals outside.  

He's not getting done, didn't get my last dog done and she's 10 now (lives with my gran) never had a problem. He's not aggressive or boisterous, and unless i know there is no one else around he's on his lead. He's been with a female on heat and did nothing. The only time he got out was because some idiot kid pushed our gate open (it has no latch because some tw*t broke in and ripped it out the wall) and nothing happened. IF he got a dog pregnant i'd take them in when they were weaned and find them homes if thats what needed to happen. He's not getting done because we may take him hunting when he's a bit bigger

I do see your point, but theres no law against a dog not being done, and he's a lovely dog just how he is.

No, there's no law, but I'm not sure I see the point unless you're planning to breed him.  He doesn't need them to hunt.  Of course you can do as you like and I hope you can avoid the unfortunate *accidents* that sometimes occur, despite your best efforts and good intentions.  ;-)

Incidentally, where I live in Washington they are considering adding a "breeder's tax" to dog and cat licenses.  Fix the pet or pay the tax ... doesn't exactly make it illegal, but it's something to help cut down on all the stray litters that wind up abandoned in the streets.

I keep a close eye on him, and i spend most of my time with him. He's different to most male dogs his age, he doesn't hump anything and never has (unlike the neighbours dog thats been doing it since it was 7 months old!) If he were aggressive i'd have them chopped off straight away! I looked into the pros and cons of it when we got him and just decided unless he took a turn for the worse when entering adolescence he'd stay as he was :)

oh and health wise he's insured to the eyeballs for vets fees :)

I had a client come in with their 5 year old male lab - he had always been a great, friendly,  typical lab - then one day, something triggered him and he bit - never a sign of it before then.  Now he is considered a dangerous dog...and of course, they are having problems getting homeowner's insurance.  His temperment problem didn't show up until he was fully mature and it's much tougher surgery when they are older and bigger.

There are thousands and thousands euthanized every year...I see it all too often.  Maybe you're responsible with your pet but it would be even more responsible if he were neutered - what a good example that would be for the other pet owner's around...like the nighbors dog.  And then there would be NO chance he would produce unwanted pups.  Even if you were willing to care for an accidental litter, would each of those new owners spay/neuter their pets and be as responsible as you?

By the way, is there a downside to neutering him?

Grrrrr!  Anyone who mistreats or neglects an animal deserves to have the same done to them!

I can't watch Animal Cops or Animal Precinct anymore.  And after Hurricane Katrina what made me sob were the stories of animals left behind or literally torn from their owners by guards because of the mandate to save people, not animals.

This summer I heard from an amateur animal rescuer that when someone dies, too often the pets are left alone or even released into the neighborhood! The idiotic cruelty!

Animals are like people, they aren't born angry, they're made that way. (yes the behaviourist in me appears) IMHO no dog attacks without cause.

I wind him up when we play and i've tried to find his line, and so far as soon as he gets too rough he backs off.

But that's just me :) he's a happy, healthy dog

We saw a lot of the pets from the hurricanes - and saw how great it was when all the people from our area evacuated their pets with them.  After we got back - we went to Beaumont and helped with the rescue efforts - there were so many displaced pets - and they were all beat up and storm battered - would have been hard for an owner to recognize them from pictures online - they were in that dirty water and starving and matted and just so sad.  We learned about microchipping - and the value of it for reuniting pets and owners.  I have a client who refused to leave St Barnard parrish without his dogs when the rescuers came - they were already up on the 2nd floor, so they left him, his 90 year old mother and the dogs.  The next boat broke the rules and took all of them, including the two dogs!

Bobby's chipped, DNA on file, registered with a missing pets service and the kennel club, insured. I don't know what i'd do without him. 

that's great - it's so important!  we just love em so much!!  have you seen the pics of my boys in my profile?  they are the bomb!!

They're bringing in laws here soon that all animals must have adequate nutrition, housing, and vet care. I'm really glad because those who deliberately mistreat their animals and don't give two sh/ts about them will be prosecuted.