Need to vent for a little

[Emmie1020]

I keep coming across People that say that they can't keep their animals and of course they are labs!

I wish I could take them all cause of stupid Owners.
Ok I totally understand if you cant keep them cause of moving situations, human health issues or other thing you cant help.

But to say you may not be bringing your 1 year old lab when you move cause she gets out of the back yard, she chews our shoes, or the baby toys.
AND OR I cant keep my 8 1/2 year old gourgous yellow lab cause i dont have a big enough yard and i cant juggle the kids and the dog anymore. Gosh, i could only imagine what a 8 1/2 year old lab would feel like, Maybe Major Stress? I guess i just could never give my dog up just because.
This lab is totally bird trained and good with children. Well i think i need to take a breather. I have just come across so many more people that just ditch their dogs off. Grrrrr, It just pushes my Buttons!

I hope i have not Offended anyone. I just needed to vent a little

[Team Chloe]

Here we are fighting so hard to raise funds to "Chase Away K9 Cancer" so that we make sure we have long happy lives with our LOVED ones.....

The only thing I can say about those who can give them up so easy.....I DON'T UNDERSTAND!!

I know life does have changes and sometimes it is necessary to move, change jobs and such...but each time I have to make those decisions, I make it with my FAMILY members in mind. So if I have to move to a different place...there will be places for my pups. If I have to take on a new job....there will be ways for me to keep my pups healthy and happy with me.....

I understand your frustration....I feel your pain!!

[Emmie1020]

Thank You! I guess i just really Hit me when I heard of this 8 1/2 year old dog that may be given up just because they dont have time. I just Feel for this dog.

[The Voice]

You really will be depressed!!!

[mayhewcmr]

Here is something that I read ocassionally when I am feeling burned out.

Body: Hello, You have reached 123-4567, Tender Hearts Rescue. Due to the high volume of calls we have been receiving, please listen closely to the following options and choose the one that best describes you or your situation:

Press 1 if you think we are veterinarians and want free medical advice.

Press 2 if you know we are a rescue organization but want to save money and have us give you free, untrained medical advice anyway.

Press 3 if you make $200,000 a year but still want us to pay to spay the "stray" in your yard (house).

Press 4 if you have a 10-year-old dog and your 15-year-old son has suddenly become allergic and you need to find the dog a new home right away.

Press 5 if you have three dogs, had a baby and want to get rid of your dogs because you are the only person in the world to have a baby and dogs at the same time.

Press 6 if your dog is sick and needs a vet but you need the money for your vacation.

Press 7 if you just got a brand new puppy and your old dog is having problems adjusting so you want to get rid of the old one right away.

Press 8 if your little puppy has grown up and is no longer small and cute and you want to trade it in for a new model.

Press 9 if you are elderly and want to adopt a cute puppy who is not active and is going to outlive you.

Press 10 if your relative has died and you don't want to care for their elderly dog because it doesn't fit your lifestyle.

Press 11 if you are moving today and need to immediately place your 150 pound, 8-year-old, unneutured, aggressive dog.

Press 12 if you want an unpaid volunteer to come to your home today and pick up the dog you no longer want.

Press 13 if you have been feeding and caring for a "stray" for the last three years, are moving and suddenly determine it's not your dog.

Press 14 if you are calling at 6 a.m. to make sure you wake me up before I have to go to work so you can drop a dog off on your way to work.

Press 15 to leave us an anonymous garbled message, letting us know you have left a dog in our yard in the middle of January, which is in fact, better than just leaving the dog with no message.

Press 16 if you are going to get angry because we are not going to take your dog that you have had for fifteen years, because it is not our responsibility.

Press 17 if you are going to threaten to take your ten year old dog to be euthanized because we can't get to your house in the next hour.

Press 18 if you're going to get angry because the volunteers had the audacity to go on vacation and leave the dogs in care of a trusted volunteer who is not authorized to take your personal pet.

Press 19 if you want one of our perfectly trained, housebroken, kid and cat friendly purebred tiny dogs that we have an abundance of.

Press 20 if you want us to take your dog that has a slight aggression problem, i.e. has only bitten a few people and killed your neighbor's cats.

Press 21 if you have already called once and been told we don't take personal surrenders but thought you would get a different person this time with a different answer.

Press 22 if you want us to use space that would go to a stray to board your personal dog while you are on vacation, free of charge, of course.

Press 23 if it is Christmas Eve or Easter morning and you want me to deliver an eight week old puppy to your house by 6:30 am before your kids wake up.

Press 24 if you have bought your children a duckling, chick or baby bunny for Easter and it is now Christmas and no longer cute.

Press 25 if you want us to take your female dog who has already had ten litters, but we can't spay her because she is pregnant again and it is against your religion.

Press 26 if you're lying to make one of our younger volunteers feel bad and take your personal pet off your hands.

Press 27 if your cat is biting and not using the litter box because it is declawed, but are not willing to accept the responsibility that the cat's behavior is altered because of your nice furniture.

Press 28 if your two year old male dog is marking all over your house but you just haven't gotten around to having him neutered.

Press 29 if you previously had an outdoor only dog and are calling because she is suddenly pregnant.

Press 30 if you have done "everything" to housebreak your dog and have had no success but you don't want to crate the dog because it is cruel.

Press 31 if you didn't listen to the message asking for an evening phone number and you left your work number when all volunteers are also working and you are angry because no one called you back.

Press 32 if you need a puppy immediately and cannot wait because today is your daughter's birthday and you forgot when she was born.

Press 33 if your dog's coat doesn't match your new furniture and you need a different color or breed.

Press 34 if your new love doesn't like your dog and you are too stupid to get rid of the new friend (who will dump you in the next month anyway) instead of the dog.

Press 35 if you went through all these 'presses' and didn't hear enough. This press will connect you to the sounds of tears being shed by one of our volunteers who is holding a discarded old dog while the vet mercifully frees him from of the grief of missing his family.


Have a better Day!

Carla

[abray]

I truly feel for you. But I have my own complaint...

Press 36 if you live on a dead end street where everyone feels they can dump their unwanted pets, you call these shelters, and they are always full. You take personal expense to feed, spay or neuter, vaccinate, and search with your own valuable time to find homes. Animal control bothers you because you have "too many dogs".

I posted on this website a few weeks, maybe a couple of months ago. I just checked. There were 55 views and not one response. And these are some great dogs, active, healthy. I just can't handle it by myself. I can't afford it. I don't have time. And I don't want them to end up discarded yet again. They think they have a home. It's not fair to them to get attached to my family any more than it was that they were dumped in the first place!! And another litter of kittens was dumped last week....

So what do I do? Let animal control take them? They kill them. That's certainly not fair.

I don't feel any better. Venting is supposed to help. It doesn't.

[MuddyPaws]

I just want to say thanks to all of us who have and continue to rescue those beloved "animals"....


I've only been able to rescue a 7 or 8 week old kitty from the streets because I saw that he was eating broken beer bottles...and now 2 years later is still very greatful...

Through all the disappointment you may have seen or heard - those animals you have saved are thankful!

Please don't think that I would every understand or defend why someone would "give up" their animal - but when we can't help them make the decision maybe it is better in the long run for the animal...

There are worst things in the world...be greatful you may not have to live it or be in it everyday...

Be safe and give your "kids" a hug today...

http://www.Muddy-Paws.net/DustinAlexHug.jpg

Lincoln the most adorable rescued kitty who steals dogs toys!!

http://www.Muddy-Paws.net/lincwon.jpg

[MollyBGoode]

We somehow managed to keep 3 dogs when we relocated down to FL. Finding an apartment was almost impossible. It was well worth the trouble though. It's sad the way people give up dogs.

[DogMom]

I understand your frustration "Abray", it's a tough situation with not a lot of good answers. I too, am grateful for all you (and others like you) do for the sweet, innocent animals that are thoughtlessly discarded. Some of my best dogs have been the ones that have been abandoned......looking in those thankful eyes is what keeps me from giving up and feeling overwhelmed. Thanks again for all you do.

[abray]

It's pathetic it has to be so difficult to relocate just because you have dogs, or in my case, animals. My son shows chickens with the 4-H Livestock club. I own my property now, but then you have to deal with zoning. When you rent, though...forget it!! I have never given up one of my babies. I've been on my property now for nearly ten years, and two of my cats were "acquired" as dumped mamas. I came here with my dogs, and although I always have extra dogs, I made it my mission NOT to keep every dumped dog. That would be impossible. If I were renting I'm sure I could not even help them beyond a call to Animal Control. Unfortunately, out here, they mainly go straight to euthanization...especially cats. Please view "Good Homes for Good Dogs." If anyone can help, I have my hands full. I believe my e-mail is listed there, but I'll list it again - repeep1@netzero.com. Posting online is new to me, and so far I have only gotten a couple of responses from shelters, always the same - full. And the economy is so bad that some people are actually making a good decision NOT to take a dog they may not be able to take care of down the line. That's my problem now. Work is slow. My husband does construction, and it's dead! I do reception for construction, so not much better off than him. If they start laying off, I'm next. As you all know, dogs cost a lot. Right now I have six looking for homes - two need to be spayed. Latest one needs vaccines. Plus I have my three babies, four cats, two of which are senior citizens, and my son's chickens. That's a lot of food and vet bills. I use the mobile vet for rabies, buy the six in one at the feed store for $6 and administer it myself, and Animal Control has a Spay/Neuter Clinic where prices are reduced and they will give the rabies for $5 if the dog or cat needs it when they come. But it's just too much. I'm in over my head and sinking fast. I thought the dead end road would be perfect. It never crossed my mind I would be acquiring worthless people's castoffs....

[ssejrnv]

"Abray"
many of us sympathize with your plight...I live in northern Nevada and in many of the rural areas people dump animals. Animal control and even breed specific rescues are over crowded. Many of us do what we can but there will always be irresponsible pet owners who feel they can just go get a new pet when the time is right.
I did want to let you know that the reason for the little response (for the thread you posted) was that most of us on the splashdog board our on the West coast. There are some groups of people that are from other parts of the country but the majority of people on these boards are from CA which makes helping/adopting a pet in Florida much more difficult although not impossible.
I applaud the work you do but remember unfortunatley you can't save them all and you don't want to jepordise your own animals health and safety.
JJ
PS-even if you don't have the time or resources to foster or care for animals in your home...volunteering a couple hours a week at a local shelter can have a huge impact on the animals in the shelter. Also, even dropping off old towels, blankets and dogs toys can change an animals life...do what you can because even small things can bring about positive change

[tlhesq]

Trust me, being involved in rescue has opened my eyes to the idiotic, deplorable and absolutely unforgiveable things people have done to their animals. I say animals because no one could ever do these things to something they considered a family member. I am certain that I have heard every ridiculous excuse as to why they cannot keep their animal, despite how much they love it. And of course, they can't donate $250 to the organization taking it and making sure it gets placed in a wonderful, forever home. True story, a family that lives in a house on the shoreline in Dana Point surrendered their <2 yo purebred Chessie to us because he was not respecting their new landscaping. When I asked for a donation, the husband's response was "I'm giving you a $1,000 dog". Yes, because an adopter is going to pay $1,000 to us to adopt your nearly 2 year old dog despite the fact that he was absolutely PERFECT. Right. Idiot!

It's hard to accept that most people just do not consider their dogs, or other animals for that matter, a permanent part of their families like most of us do. It has more than jaded me towards humans. Dogs would never do that to us....

[abray]

JJ-Name? Sometimes it's hard to tell on here. My JJ is my baby. His mom is an Australian Shepherd and his dad is a Great Dane who belonged to my old roommate. We "acquired" him when he was injured, probably by his mom, at about five weeks old. His right hip was dislocated and right leg broken. The mom's owner, a neighbor, came home from work, counted puppies and had to hunt him down. He was in a hole mom had dug under her house that had fallen on him. So my husband, (I was camping with my son), took him to the vet, forced him to eat, carried him outside every few hours to do his business.... Luckily it happened on a Friday. Through the weekend he got him to "want to live" and when we went back to work on Monday he was okay enough for us to leave him that length of time. It took several weeks before he could walk, but now we can't tell by the way he runs and leaps. His hip does stick out a little odd and we foresee arthritic type problems or hip displasia (sp?). He got his name from my son, Jacob. He's Jacob Junior.

I appreciate your acknowledgement. I can tell by the postings it's basically west coast here. I've sent e-mails to every website I could find. This is the only message board, and I check it almost daily. It starts my day nicely. Some of those websites are east coast. I got one e-mail from a rescue in Virginia wishing me luck. That's it. Using the computer is new to me. Several of my neighbors help search for homes, although no other help. One old lady feeds the cats. I feed the dogs. Except I spay, neuter, and vaccinate. She just feeds, and I can't afford the dogs, let alone going that far with the cats. We have more luck finding homes for kittens, but who knows how long those homes last. She used to spay and neuter. Animal Control used to do it for free for people on Medicare, but not anymore. She lives on Medicare and Social Security and has owned her home for nearly 50 years, so only pays for power, phone, and taxes. She's broke. I put signs in the local feed stores and vets and my son is in the 4-H Livestock club, so we've placed a few through them by word of mouth. It's a never-ending battle. Now we have a new neighbor who bought the woods northeast of us and built a house. They have called Animal Control on us five times, and they own four Pit Bulls and a Chihuahua!! I even went to court against her! (I won). We are zoned agricultural, but apparently still not allowed to have (get this) "three dogs OR cats OR rabbits." I have three dogs and four cats (indoor only cats). (Plus my rescues who are in the back corner in pens). I told them in court that I pick up the dumpees, vaccinate, spay or neuter if old enough, and find homes. I won because each spay/neuter record had "rescued black lab" (example) as the name. I guess they figured I was being responsible about it, all were vaccinated, all but one (now two) were spayed, etc. I was given a warning about too many dogs...and she has left me alone since court (which was in August).

I tend to ramble. Again, thanks for acknowledging me and the encouragement. It's appreciated

Angel

[abray]

I absolutely understand where you are coming from. I agree completely. I have never in my life given away a family member, and I have grown attached to some I have taken in, so they became permanent. Right now I have nine dogs, and I take great pains not to get attached. Usually the ones I grow attached to are special circumstance, like JJ I mentioned earlier, who was hurt and we forced him to bottlefeed until he realized we cared. As I mentioned before, they are dumped because I live on a dead end street. These are not my pets I am discarding. I have my own babies. All four of my cats were rescues. Cedar was 3-4 weeks old and nursed, now almost nine years. Scooter was about 3 months old and found in a wooded area on a main highway eating from roadkill, now eight years. Yugi was a stray from the neighborhood who climbed in my car by the mailbox and attached himself to my son. (Now almost four years old, they are still inseparable). Dusty was part of a litter a stray had under my neighbor's house. Mom disappeared. They were about 4-5 weeks old. One was dead by morning. One lasted a couple of days. One last about a week. And Dusty is going to be 2 years old in the Spring. Mom came back about two months later, missing an ear and has had several litters since. (We cannot get anywhere near her, although this neighbor finds homes for the kittens every time, and continues to feed her).

I used to donate money when I was making better money. Now I am barely getting by. We have two places nearby we have donated supplies to. Back to Nature is a wildlife rescue about a mile away, and we have taken them a number of creatures over the years as well. The other is Fallen Pines Critter Rescue, who takes farm animals and exotics. They are in Christmas, FL, about 5-7 miles away, maybe. We took chickens to them when an elderly lady on our street was put into a home by the state and they sold her property to pay for her care. We also placed her St. Bernard, which took about eight months. (The St. Bernard Rescue couldn't help because I wasn't the owner of record). Both have nice facilities.

I had a Great Dane who passed of liver failure maybe five or six years ago. He was one of the great loves of my life. I've been on my property for almost ten years now. For a couple of months after he passed, different neighbors would see us and ask what happened to the Dane. About three months after, we came home one day, and there, chained to my gate was a Great Dane. I ask you...What goes on in people's minds? I had three other dogs! I tried all the Great Dane rescues I could find on the internet at the time. They wanted me to get her vaccines. They wanted to find out if she was spayed (probably not-could find no scar). The first thing she did was grab my cat, Scooter, resulting in a $900 vet bill. And she was aggressive with the other dogs. I tried to find her a home, but she was too aggressive to deal with on a daily basis, so I took her to Animal Control, who I abhor. They told me they would take her to a Great Dane rescue--that a lot of times the rescues won't take dogs from individuals, but when they call they always take them. It still lingers in the back of my mind though, that they very well may have immediately taken her to be euthanized, and if so, I blame myself.

But I agree with you about dogs and people. Dogs are loyal to a fault. They are way more worth our love and devotion than most people.

Angel