What are people thinking when they abandon pets?

[Coventina]

Warning! Rant!!

I was over at my Grandmother's house yesterday helping her with some things.

During the day, she mentioned that her neighbor across the street had moved away, but left her cats.

I asked for clarification.

Turns out, she just moved away and left her 5 cats as strays in the neighborhood.
Her reason? Her new place didn't allow pets.



What kind of monster does something like that?

1) If you have pets, guess what? You have to choose a new domicile that will take them.
2) Don't have pets if you think they are garbage you can just throw away for convenience.
3) How is that in any way fair to your former neighbors?
4) Try growing a heart, you waste of oxygen.

I hate my species, sometimes.

[ladjf]

1. Self centered abuse of the vulnerable. nt

[Lancero]

2. Sometimes they have to leave, and can't find a affordable place that takes pets.

So it's not as simple as 'If you can't find a place that accepts pets, you're a monster". It's the poor more often then not that are hit by this to, so it's a bit classist as well.

That they couldn'd find - Or perhaps afford - a place that accepts pets isn't something you should hold against them. What you SHOULD hold against them is that they didn't give enough of a shit to take them to a animal rescue.

[Coventina]

4. OK, I should have put more info in the OP:

The family left because they sold the house to move into a bigger rental with the intention of buying a bigger house. (The house across the street from my grandmother is tiny, it's a one bedroom Craftsman cottage and they just had their second kid).

So, it was their desire for a bigger home, not economic necessity.

Buy you know what? Compassion is not classist.
Even if they had to move for economic necessity, they still did a cruel and irresponsible thing.

[nvardeh]

15. Objectifying pets

I think the most important point to be brought up would be pets are not objects; you can't just leave them somewhere. Pets have souls just like any other living being. Abandonment is perhaps the ultimate sin, but who knows? Stop the objectification of pets!

[GreatGazoo]

26. Welcome to DU

Personally I think there should be a license to own pets. Not the ones we have now that go on the collar but one for the owner. More should be done to make sure people are responsible pet owners. The license would include follow up so that if a person has abandoned killed or used their pets in staged fights they are no longer eligible to own pets.

As it is now, a person needs a license (tag) in advance to shoot a deer but the same person can buy as many dogs as they want to and do whatever they want with them.

And then there are the Amish... with their gas chambers for unsold puppies.... ugh:

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/pets/NY_kennel_owner_admits_gassing_93_dogs_with_farm_engine.html

[dumbcat]

48. Animals don't have souls

this is pretty well settled doctrine.

[alphafemale]

50. There is no such thing as "settled" doctrine.

All religious "doctrine" is either truth or horseshit depending on indoctrinated opinion.

[Warren DeMontague]

60. pfffffffffffffffffffffffft.

Well, if some religious poobah with a giant hat said it, it MUST be true!


I think animals have consciousness, of varying degrees- obviously a lobster is not a sentient as, say, a dolphin.

A "soul" is a religious concept, but as far as "settled doctrine", many Buddhists believe that animals have the Buddha-nature, just as people do.

[TDale313]

16. No excuse for this, sorry.

There are always options, and when you have a pet, you take on the responsibility for them. Throwing companion animals out on the street to starve or get ill or injured is fucking cruel. I have a friend who is currently caring for an abandoned cat- sweetest thing ever- deaf, not good eyesight, and declawed. Yeah, this little guy's gonna do great outside on his own Other than that very healthy and he's fixed. Probably wasn't outside too long. Very pretty too- white with beautiful blue eyes. My friend has taken him in, but has two of his own and is hoping to find him a good forever home.

[Lancero]

36. The OP left out details to this, but my original point is still valid.

Not everyone who has to move to no-pet housing is evil. Sometimes people - especially the poor - have to leave their current housing, and can not find a affordable housing solution that allows for pets. Saying that you HAVE to pick pet friendly housing if you are a pet owner, otherwise you're a monster, is a complete broadbrushing of the circumstances that can force many people into having to relocate.

Abandoning them, as I said (And as you would have known if you bothered reading my post), to the streets is what needs to be called out, not the persons inability to find a animal friendly housing solution.

[TDale313]

51. I am talking about abandoning them to the streets

And I get that people find themselves with really bad options, but if you abandon them to the streets you are in most cases sentencing that animal to a very long, painful death- either cause of illness or starvation. That's my point. Not saying everyone can always take their pets with them when circumstances change, but dumping them outside to fend for themselves or even just leaving them locked in an abandoned home is never gonna be ok.

[Lancero]

52. For the THIRD time in a row, if you bothered reading my post...

You'd see that I agree that leaving them to the streets should be called out.

If OP did just that, I'd have no issues with it. But she also decided to add in one comment that pretty much craps over a lot of poor animals owners. It's that statement that I'm calling out.

Saying a person is a 'waste of oxygen' because they might not be able to afford a specific type of housing is something I'd expect from Republicans.

[TDale313]

55. I do get your point-

The second post made it clearer to me. I wasn't as clear from the first one. And I don't think we're actually disagreeing that much. My last post was back to what *my* focus was, which was the abandoning pets to the street. Which happens far too often.

[Coventina]

56. People who treat animals as kleenex are a waste of oxygen.

Being poor doesn't give one a pass on compassion.

And, please don't think I don't sympathize with poor people, because I came from abject poverty, spending a good portion of my childhood homeless.

I totally understand that sometimes people get in desperate situations, but once you make a commitment to an animal, that animal needs to be part of your plan, even if that means surrendering it to animal control.

I hope this makes my position clear. I never meant that people who can't afford luxury housing are worthless.

[gvstn]

58. I think you are misreading OP.

When he/she says must find a new domicile to take them, they mean find a shelter to take them ( a domicile for them not necessarily together with the owner), not "magically" come up with money for a better apartment/house that allows pets.

They are saying someone who drives off leaving their pet on the back porch with no food or caretaker is a cruel person.

Have you seen the commercial where a car is driving down the country road, stops, puts the dog out in the road and then drives off? It is gut wrenching. That "owner" is the type of person that is a waste of oxygen. If they can find themselves somewhere to live then they can find somewhere for the dog to live even if they can no longer afford to keep it themselves.

[Gormy Cuss]

3. I strongly suspect that my cat lost his first home this way.

Either that or he was left to fend for himself in a foreclosed property. He was overweight when trapped by animal control, so not unhoused for that long. He's very fearful and even for a cat, he's slow to trust new humans.

This county doesn't have a no-kill shelter so perhaps his owners thought it was better to let him go but I couldn't imagine just turning him out like that.

[hamsterjill]

5. This is called "making YOUR problem someone ELSE'S problem".

I rescue cats in San Antonio, Texas and we see this ALL the time. People just move and leave both cats and dogs behind. Especially cats. Because they think that cats can fend for themselves.

Uh...no...that's not how it works when you've had a cat that has been used to being fed regularly and doesn't know how to hunt, keep out of the way of cars or coyotes.

I'm guessing that none of the five cats that your Grandmother's neighbor abandoned have been fixed either, have they? If they have - at least that's one tiny positive. It still doesn't make it right that the person left them without providing for them.

If they are not fixed, then this is the beginning of why we have stray cats everywhere...People being irresponsible and making THEIR problem someone ELSE's problem.

I don't care how poor this person may or may not have been. If they took on the responsibility of those five cats before the move, then WHEN they moved, they still had a responsibility to make arrangements for the cats.

In my over 30 years of cat rescue, I find that more times cats are abandoned simply because it wasn't convenient to take the cats. This is much more common than it truly being a situation where someone is having to move to a place that doesn't allow the cats, and that because of their economic situation, that is the ONLY place they have to go. It is almost always a matter of the human being not doing enough, and if you delve deeper, a lot of the times you find that the human is simply tired of having to deal with the work that is involved in having pets.

[DawgHouse]

8. My husband and I noticed two cats last night.

It was just getting dark and they were prowling around the neighbors trash cans. They looked SO skinny from what I could tell but when I tried to slowly walk toward them to get a better look, they bolted and hid under a car.

I put out a small dish of food and water. One cat came up to it once I was safely away from the area and eventually the other cat did too. These guys do NOT know how to find food. My husband says he thinks they are feral but I think they are family pets that have been left behind. They definitely responded to "Kitty! Kitty! Kitty!" and when I was shaking the bag of food, they seemed interested and watched me intently.

I hope to see them again and if so, get a better look and maybe take a picture of them.

[hamsterjill]

11. My thanks to you for putting out food and water for them.

They sound like obvious dumped cats. I appreciate your efforts for them. So many people would have simply looked the other way.

I tell people - even if someone is bitching about stray cats, it is still better to have HEALTHY and FED stray cats than starved and sick ones.

I don't know where you're located, but I'm hoping that perhaps you have some resources available whereby you might get these cats spayed or neutered and into an adoptive home. I know that's not always possible, so if it is not, then please again accept my thanks for your assistance to them.

[DawgHouse]

14. I am in the Orlando area.

We do have good resources here.

[freshwest]

6. Some people buy into the feral argument, I think. That cats, especially, can live without people.

They think that they can live off of mice and stuff. It's also possible that they planned to come back and get the cats when situated.

This happened with a house I owned, it had been a rental and I ended up moving into it when they left because they hadn't paid rent to the landlord for almost a year. I had equity in it through my father's estate and moved into the place. It was a disaster area.

They left their dog there for over six months and all the neighbors and fed it. Then when they got settled, they came by and took the dog home with them. They never spoke to me about it, but in their mind, apparently it was still their dog even though they didn't take care of it.

Their lives were a total mess, a marital break up, kids freaked out, all sorts of stuff. They left all their trash, old clothes and the like all over the place and did an awful lot of damage to the property.

So I don't waste my time on being outraged, I just do what I can to protect what I can.

[LeftinOH]

7. Sometimes it's not the owners, but the "next-in-laws"

who are left to deal with things with the owner dies or is taken ill.

[Wilms]

9. In my case it was their loss and my gain.

I think my dog was happy with the outcome...and I think he NEVER forgot what happened that left him on the street.

And I never stopped wondering how and why that would happen.

[IVoteDFL]

10. My youngest cat came to me this way

Some of my POS neighbors got evicted for having the cops called on them several times and when it came time to move they just threw her out in the hallway. I kept hearing crying sounds all day (Not unusual for where I live), finally after a few hours I went and looked up and down all the hallway and saw her crying by a door. First I knocked on the door to let them know their cat had gotten out, but the woman said she can't take the cat to her new apartment so she just let it out.

I was SOOOOO furious.


I called her about every name I could think of and then I took the litterbox and food from her and brought the cat back to live with me and my other kitties. It was obvious she hadn't had a good life. It still breaks my heart, even though she is very happy and loved now.

[narnian60]

31. Thank you

for being kind.

[DawgHouse]

12. Yep, people do this and it makes me mad too.

I had a sweet aussie mix for 14 years who was abandoned by her family when she was one year old. They moved away and left her roaming the street. A neighbor watched her for a few days, thinking they were coming back for her, but they never did. The neighbor took her in but she had four dogs already and a house full of kids. She kept her for about a month and then turned her in to Animal Services. That is where I found her, lucky me!

Let me tell you, she was the best buddy I ever had. She was wonderful! She was house broken so obviously her previous family had allowed her inside. She LOVED kids. The neighbor said she used to run up and down the street all afternoon, playing and romping with the kids. It made me sad to think that she must have missed her family very much.

But it was a win for me and for her too in the long run. When the neighbor turned her over to Animal Services, she completed a survey with all the information she had about the dog. Likes, dislikes, etc. She also said it was okay for the adoptive family to contact her. After I'd had her about a month, I called the rescuer to tell her that I had taken the dog and she was safe. This wonderful lady burst into tears and said she was relieved because she wanted to keep her but just couldn't with four dogs, kids and finances being what they were.

I am so grateful that someone cared enough to rescue her from the street.

[tammywammy]

13. Those are awful people.

There were people that lived a couple houses over, they had this black cat Shadow. I know her name, because one of their kids told me. They had two kids elementary aged.

Anywho, maybe 5 months ago I saw they moved. Well a few weeks after that I'm getting ready to leave for work and I open the front door to Shadow sitting on my porch with 5 kittens. THEY HAD THIS CAT FOR YEARS! YEARS!!!! So not only did they not get their cat spayed, they left their kid's let behind! SMH

That's where all the freaking kittens have been coming from! Grrrrrrr

So, I found homes for the kittens and then Shadow was fixed the next week (and ear tipped) and I let her go. She still hangs out around that same house with the new owners.

I had another cat show up last week with babies. I'm hoping to trap her next week to get fixed. (The kittens got homes).

[Snobblevitch]

17. Some people are so self-centered that they feel

they can just leave their pets and believe that somebody will take care of them. I grew up in a rural area and people would drive out of town and abandon their dogs and cats. Both would frequently be hit and injured or killed by vehicles. Sometimes these animals would be cared for by those living in the area, sometimes the cats became barn cats, many died of starvation.

[SheilaT]

18. Another excuse I hear for abandoning pets

is that if they take them to a shelter, they'll only be euthanized. As if leaving them outside to starve is kinder.

It's why I was so incredibly bothered by the scene in AI where the mother abandons the AI kid out in the woods, as if he's an unwanted cat or dog to be abandoned like that.

[Omaha Steve]

19. I have posted before about our Dug

His previous family moved out of their apartment and left him behind. No food or water.

We saw this photo after reading the story and adopted him.



This is after just 2 days in our family with three other dogs.



Here he is sneaking our granddaughter a kiss while she watches a movie.

[Behind the Aegis]

30. Awesome!!!

[narnian60]

32. Precious.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

20. What gets me is when they get abandoned after a divorce....

Sometimes those require popcorn. (I once saw a big old tube type TV crash out of a second story window.)

That's where we got a free cat.

The first thing the poor thing did was sleep for a week.

[Liberal_in_LA]

21. selfish pigs. my former landlord had pets because renters move and leave pets in the unit

He got cats and a dog that way

[Arugula Latte]

22. It's awful enough when they dump them outside, but

when they just move away, leave them in a house or apartment without food or water ... I can't even say what I want to see happen to those people.

[peecoolyour]

23. Not even sure if people who do that are capable of more than breathing. nt

[Arugula Latte]

24. Another thing: Idiots who get rid of a pet when the woman becomes pregnant or they have a baby...

The only reason I can see for this is if you have a dog that is aggressive with babies or young kids. That did happen to a friend of mine, but she responsibly found new homes for her dogs. Otherwise, what the fuck?! You just dump a car or dog for no reason what so ever.

[a la izquierda]

46. I knew a couple...

who took their dog to be euthanized because it looked at the new baby "funny." My husband wanted to kill the guy. My husband managed a doggie daycare place and KNEW the dog and we considered these people acquaintances in our circle of friends. One phone call and we'd have helped find the dog a home.

Assholes. We never spoke to the people again and the couple, who claimed to be Christians, were more or less ostracized from our group (their holier than thou attitude helped with that as well).

We were never sure if the vet actually followed through.

[Lunabell]

25. I've never understood.

And have rescued literally dozens of cats/kittens in my 53 years on this planet. Also a few dogs/puppies. It never ceases to amaze me how people can be so inhumane to the most vulnerable among us.

I am trying to spaying/neutering some feral cats where I live. https://gofund.me/meowomon I am working with the Tallahassee Animal Aid society to get these beautiful animals fixed and released back. These guys are feral and would not make anyone a good pet. I would adopt them if they would. But I will continue to feed and care for them as long as they live.


[url=http://postimg.org/image/dp1axkchp/][img][/img][/url]

[Glassunion]

45. You're awesome.

That is all.

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

27. In the 1990s, I got a rescued Great Pyrennes dog named Abigail

She had been bought as a puppy by some people who kept her tied up to a tree in the yard (and Illinois can have brutal weather -- all her life, she was very much afraid of thunderstorms). These people fed her whenever they thought about it. When she was about two years old, they moved away and just left her still tied to the tree. She weighed about 55 pounds when she was rescued -- she should have weighed at least half again as much. I cannot imagine why anyone would treat any animal like that. For one thing, she was obviously fairly expensive -- clearly purebred and close to show quality. When cleaned up and at her proper weight, she was one of the best looking dogs I have ever known.

Fortunately, her mistreatment did not affect her personality too badly. Abby was highly intelligent, affectionate, patient, protective, and demanding of attention. She adored being taken for walks in the park, where her favorite activity was having children come up and fuss over her. She was perfectly content to have adults do the same, but she obviously loved the children. The adults would tend to admire her and say that she was a good looking dog. The children simply showered her with affection. She knew the difference. The people who mistreated her missed out on a truly outstanding dog.

[mike_c]

28. thank you for saying it so clearly....

People who abandon pets suck.

[JustAnotherGen]

29. I don't know

But someone else's throw away (a hand fed and well handled painted back turtle) became our treasure in August 2011. He's entertaining, brings the Zen, and has recently discovered how to launch himself out of his tank.

That's one fast little turtle!

Anyway - it's sickening. You don't make an animal dependent on you then just toss it. You just don't.

We've reach out to our town and asked should we both die someone put Jack in the elementary school, library, or even in the old court house. Like - we made arrangements for him since he will probably out live us. For a TURTLE.

But some of us have brains that are wired that way and some don't - unfortunately.

[Behind the Aegis]

33. They aren't thinking, which is the problem.

Some people do not want the responsibility which comes with having a pet. When we lived in New Orleans, I became the "crazy cat lady" of the street because I fed all the strays (eventually capturing them and paying to have them fixed and vaccinated). There were LOTS of strays after Katrina. Before we left, there were about 20 cats who showed up on a regular basis (a stray rooster too). I left two big bags of cat food with neighbors so they would take care of them.

I understand when people have financial difficulties, but to abandon a pet is just cruel.

[1monster]

34. Ignorant people who have never seen abandoned pets starving, or ignorant

people who expect others to pick up on their responsibilities, or just plain evil, ignorant ***** (can't find a word bad enough to call them) who just don't give a damn.

I currently have three cats who were abandoned at the ages of three weeks, five months, and fifteen years. And four others who are the offspring of abandoned cats. There are no kill organizations that will care for and place animals that the care takers are no longer able to house.

People who leave their furry family members to starve are just plain evil.

[Cleita]

35. Some people amazingly think the pets will do better than being sent to the animal shelter.

I think we need laws, first requiring landlords to allow a limited numbers of domestic pets in rentals. Next make people register their pets with an animal protective services which will require them to agree to provide said pet with food, shelter, and veterinary services and when they can't, that they agree to find new homes for those pets with a hefty fine if they abandon them. With such a law you would be able to report those neighbors to authorities who would be required to prosecute them.

[mountain grammy]

37. My sweet little dog was abandoned.

Probably from a puppy mill, as he's supposedly a "designer dog." Problem is, only one good hip. Both his front legs were broken and healed crooked, probably while he was on his own. He was 6 pounds when he was picked up and our dog catcher said she had been trying to capture him for a month. Vet said he'd be worth a lot of $ if he had two good hips, but was thrown away, rejected as imperfect. And now, with two crooked legs and bad teeth (had to have 7 extractions) he's a mess.

Two years later, we still love the little mutt. Sometimes I hate my species too.

[bvar22]

38. Do NOT drive your pet "out in the country" , take the collar off, and abandon it...

...under the comforting but completely false rationalization that it will find a nice, country home to take care of it.
That never happens.
The abandoned pet either gets quickly eaten by wildlife, torn apart by "country dogs", or shot by someone protecting their pets & stock from disease.

[Tanuki]

59. My best friend from high school lives on a farm in SE Ohio

and they always have about 8 random dogs that people have dumped "out in the country." Occasionally there will be one that they think might have become separated from a hunting party, but mostly they are abandoned. One, a very sweet shepherd mix was even left tethered when the owners moved! He managed to get loose and somehow made his way to their impromptu safe haven. It is beyond me how some people can repay the innocent devotion of a pet with callous cruelty.

[Rex]

39. Or like the people that dump puppies over someones fence and drive off.

Only to have more puppies down the road (cuz getting the dam dogs fixed cost a few bucks doncha know). Those kind of people are special little monsters in my book.

[Lurks Often]

40. 99% of the people who do this are slimy, pathetic excuses for human beings

I volunteer at animal rescue walking dogs and we just took in a dog that was left behind when her owners were evicted. They packed up their crap and left her there. A really sweet dog, gentle and mellow who damn sure didn't deserved to be abandoned.

In the I've spent there I've seen strays and puppy mills and abandoned dogs and even a couple of abused dogs, all who had every right to dislike humans, yet invariably they are happy and grateful for the attention and petting the volunteers give them.

There are far too many no-kill shelters willing to take in a dog to just abandon a dog without even trying to find the dog a new home.

So yes, I most definitely hate my species as well, most of us can only dream to be as decent a living thing as the average dog.

[B Calm]

41. My evangelical right-wing neighbor left his tom cat when they moved to Florida.

[lookatme]

42. You're learning now most people are assholes?

I hope my post isn't hidden because I work with the public.

Just an observation I have made in the 30 plus years dealing with the public.

[lookatme]

43. Let that number sink in for a while.

Pet abandonment statistics world wide are thought to be around six hundred million every year and many countries have extremely cruel animal overpopulation controls.

[Glassunion]

44. I hope this makes you feel better.

Both of these guys... Samuel L. Catson, and Loki are rescues.

Sammy, we adopted at about 3 weeks old. He was too young to rescue, but his mommy was gone and he needed help. Besides, at the rescue he would not leave me alone. I call him my cuddle-buddy. We curl up together every night. He does however like to bite a little, and he over-eats. Ok... He eats a lot. We call him slobo. He will devour his food so fast, that he pukes, then he's right back to stuffing his face.

Loki was a different rescue. We got him at 3 years old. We call him Houdini. Given the opportunity, he will make an escape attempt. He came from a family, who could no longer keep him. Their newborn was allergic. His name is quite apt. At every opportunity he will attempt to cause chaos... Break a lamp, jump on my crotch (claws out), stare at the closet and growl, turn on the garbage disposal... at 2AM... while I'm watching Saw IV.

Anyhoo... Id like to think that for every asshole who pulls this shit, are two folks who do care.

Here they are, contiplating the universe...

[CrawlingChaos]

53. well it makes me feel better

And I loved your story about kitty turning on the garbage disposal in the middle of the night while you're watching Saw IV.

Kudos for giving these little ones such a wonderful home.

[Coventina]

54. LOL! Thanks for the much needed laugh!!

You must have a really strong heart to be able to recount the tale of the garbage disposal!!

[Glassunion]

57. As a manly man, of great intestinal fortitude, I can say...

That I screamed like a 3 year old when he kicked it on.

[a la izquierda]

47. I had some sketchy neighbors do this once when they were evicted.

My husband, some neighbors, and I managed to catch the kitties and bring them to a local rescue.

[Beringia]

49. I agree that you should have to have a licence to have a pet

and cannot get another one if you have shown you are not a good caretaker.

[davidpdx]

61. I whole heartedly agree

Both of our cats are rescue animals. The older one was adapted from a person who found a pregnant street cat that was badly hurt and took her to the vet. Momma cat and the other babies couldn't be saved, but one survived (he's a feisty cat). The other one my wife rescued from the parking lot of our complex a couple of years ago.

[yourpicturehere]

62. Animals "show up" here all the time

We live out in the middle of nowhere, mostly because it's peaceful and quiet. When we moved here, the house came with a cat. He was orange and looked just like Bill, the Cat from Bloom Co., so we named him Bill. I couldn't get anywhere near him, until I was washing out a bowl that had touch-up paint in it and he came flying up on the porch meowing. I gave him a bowl of food. The next three years he appeared and disappeared, never letting us get too close. My ex left me with two kids, a house payment, 10 dogs and 1 cat and no job. One cold night, I looked out and Bill was laying on the porch as close to the front door as possible. I went out and picked him up (he was very sick) and brought him into the house and let him sleep in front of the heater in my bedroom. He died that night and I was always so glad I made him warm his last night, since my financial situation wouldn't let me do more.

Fast forward 20 years...we had become the dumping place for cats and had about 22 feral cats around my house. When my Mom died, she left me a little money and we had a feral cat roundup, and thanks to my vet who cut me a deal, we caught and neutered and tested and vaccinated ALL of them. Wish I had video of that! I have a bunch of cats in the house, so taking them into the house was out of the question and the animal shelter here is questionable. My vet (Bless him) took some of the kittens because he has an adoption program that provides care for the kittens if you adopt them.

Shortly after I breathed a sigh of relief because no new cats had shown up, a dog of dubious parentage showed up. She was about the size of a GSD and started killing the cats. She had been dumped. I at the end of my rope when we had a huge snowstorm and she disappeared. Part of me was relieved and more of me was angry that whoever had owned her had taken the choice of turning her in to the shelter or putting her down and dumped it squarely in my lap. Not to mention that she was a big dog and I had no desire to try to catch her...catching feral cats is painful enough.

So, the next time you want a puppy and the "evil" breeder asks lots of questions, this is why. Lots of people consider animals as disposable and while part of the deal is that if the new owner can't keep the dog they bring it back, lots of people won't even contact the breeder, they prefer to dump it, either on the streets or in a shelter. My personal favorite excuse is the "new baby" one or the "new, younger dog" one. Got to get rid of the dog we've had for years! The other excuse I like is the "we'll take the kittens and Mom out to the country where they can roam free"..with the tractors and semis and sprayers and combines and the kids getting on their cars on a country road. Oh, and coyotes, who love cat for dinner. No, I wasn't lying, it is quiet here except for harvest and planting!

As for licensing owners, that opens up a whole new can of worms. I can see a perverted system where Romney or Huckabee gets a license for a dog cos they know somebody and the best owner on earth doesn't.

Anyway, that's my 2 cents and my experiences.

Opportunities for flaming...

1. Evil dog breeder
2. Outside cats

Peace.

[SwissTony]

63. I'd no more abandon my dobie than I would my kids.

He is my kid. He calls me Daddy. Well, he would if he could talk.

If I was down to my last five bucks and the question was "Who's going to eat - him or me?", it'd be him.

[lonestarnot]

64. I hate her too!