People who surrender their pets to shelters are effin assholes.

[Maddy McCall]

It had to be said. There's a documentary on HBO Signature right now about kennels. This one woman brought in her dog, handed it over, because it was sometimes "aggressive." The poor dog can't get along with other animals or children, so it most likely wont' be placed and will be euthanized. The woman wept as she walked out of the shelter and to her car.

There is a special place in hell for people who KILL their animals this way. A very special place.

Does anyone have a link to that essay from the dog's point of view, about being surrendered to a shelter, that was posted a couple of weeks ago? I think it was titled something like "How Could You?"

I don't know the percentage of dogs that are euthanized vs. those adopted in shelters. Does anyone know?

I am an animal lover. I have four dogs, and I cannot think of a single reason that would cause me to give up any of my babies. I can usually put myself in other people's shoes, am empathetic, you know? But I cannot possibly imagine what kind of a person could hand over a family pet to certain death.

Ok...rant's over. :grr:

edit: removed all caps. Sorry, I was in a fury.

[Heidi]

1. I couldn't find the post but here's the link to the original essay

by Jim Willis.

http://www.crean.com/jimwillis/hcy.html

(Hi, Maddy! :hi: )

[Maddy McCall]

3. Thank you, Heidi. Am bookmarking that right now.

That essay made me cry.

:hi:

[freestyle]

28. That made me cry.

My partner and I just adopted a shelter dog. He is the cutest and sweetest dog imaginable and has been through so much in his short six months. He had come to the shelter from another shelter, and had then been taken and returned by another couple because their dog did not get along with him. We know that he is lucky to be alive and have pledged that he will be with us no matter what.

Unfortunately, a large portion of dogs that enter shelters do not leave alive. They are either determined to be not adoptable due to serious behavior problems (that are usually the result of cruel owners), the shelter does not have room and can't find one that does, or their time runs out at shelters that have time limits. I advise anyone who is looking for a pet to go to the shelter and make a friend and save a life.

I have nothing but contempt for people who would turn over a pet who has given nothing but love and affection and who is utterly dependent on them for every need to even the possibility of death. That is just evil. If you can't commit to the animal's natural life, don't get one. A former boss of mine is like the person in the story. He killed his dog (and having the vet do it is still the same) because it conflicted with his wife and his ambitions. I lost any remaining shred of respect when I found out.

[MadHound]

48. Oh lord, what a sad sad piece of writing.

Brought back too many bad memories for me, since I was the one at the other end of the needle for three months one summer twenty years ago.

Worked at the local animal shelter, and OMG, I put down poor animals, so many I can't, and don't want to remember. Yes, the day was broken up by working with and playing with the live animals, with the ones who had a good shot at adaption. But my entire life was overshadowed for those three months by the fact that I was killing dozens of animals daily. Those poor animals, the look of trust in their eyes, the last licks and purrs. I did my job, I made their last moments comfortable and peaceful, and God knows, I hope they forgive me for killing them.

I couldn't take it for long, I just couldn't stand it. While I worked in the animal field a couple of times after that stint, it was always with the living, the vet hospital, volunteer at the no kill shelter, etc. I've got four dogs now, all rescues, and three cats, the same. I'd deliberately put away those memories from the animal shelter, but your piece brought it all rushing back:cry: I hope that somewhere, some how those poor critters forgive me for what I did. I've tried my best to atone for it by treating all animals I meet with love and kindness. Sadly, it was a job that had to be done, and I was the one. Lord forgive me.

[bliss_eternal]

2. No need to apologize...

I've been saddened from time to time when I've watched Emergency Vets. One show featured a sweet dog, that merely had something wrong with his leg. The surgery was a success--but the owners couldn't afford the surgery--and even asked if they could just lay the dog down.

:wow: :wtf: I was stunned.

The docs performed the surgery anyway, so the dog could start to heal, and one of the clinic techs adopted him.

They were like the third owner featured in an hour that asked to lay the dog down because the dog's treatment was too expensive or their rehab was going to be too much work for them. :eyes:

I just don't get it...

[Maddy McCall]

4. Go to the link in Heidi's post above.

Will break your heart. :cry:

[bliss_eternal]

6. Oh--how awful--

:cry:

I want a dog SO BADLY but refuse to get one until I know they will have a nice yard to roam and play in--and not have to be stuck in a hot, icky apt. in the summer time.

My apt. is miserable for ME in the summer--I couldn't do that to someone I loved...

[Maddy McCall]

8. And that is wise of you.

The time will come, and you will find the perfect little guy or gal to share your home.

:hug:

[bliss_eternal]

9. Thank you!

That's so sweet of you to say...:blush:

I had an awful experience as a kid with a cat I adopted--long story--still kind of painful.

But they are like our kids, you know? We need to be aware of that, and plan for them the way we (ideally) plan for children. So we know we can provide them with food, doctor's visits, etc., etc. Anything short of that...well, you know. :hi: I know I'm preaching to the choir here--lol.

[Mutley]

5. I understand how you feel.

I can't imagine surrendering my dogs to a shelter. I could see giving them to another family if something serious happened that made me unable to care for them anymore, but I would never take them somewhere where they would be euthanized.

[bliss_eternal]

7. Because you love them

and you have a heart... and a conscience. :cry:

[Shell Beau]

10. I think I've seen that on HBO! It made me

cry like a baby. But, what do you do if you get a dog as a puppy and they turn out to be really aggressive towards your family or you? I'm just asking. I could never give my animal to a shelter. Hell, all of mine came from shelters. But what do you do? I think people go into being a pet owner too blindly, but some dogs do turn out to be really aggressive. My friend had a cocker spaniel that was raised in a perfectly normal and loving way, and that was the meanest dog I've ever seen. They didn't give it away, but a few people got bitten by that dog.

[MrsMatt]

11. We got two of our cats from the shelter

so I guess if some asshole hadn't surrendered them, they wouldn't be a part of our family.

[Maddy McCall]

16. You are a great person...

and I wish more people would adopt. Sadly, many more animals are put to sleep each year than are adopted. :(

[Arugula Latte]

25. Especially kitties.

:cry:

[flvegan]

12. I highly recommend to anyone that can, volunteer for an animal shelter.

You can usually give as little or as much of your time as you want.

You get to be part of the solution, and it'll change your life.

[Shell Beau]

13. I've volunteered at the ones that go to PetsMart before.

That is where I adopted my last 2 dogs from. They travel the state and pack up all of their animals in their van and go to places where people with pets are likely to go (PetsMart or PetCo.). They appreciate any little time you can contribute.

[flvegan]

14. Volunteering for a rescue like that is also a great idea.

Thanks for doing that!

[Shell Beau]

15. I had fun doing it! Although, I would

love to bring them all to my house. But I have a way of convincing people who are just thinking about getting a pet to actually adopt one! :) It is worth every bit of time I have ever put into it.

[radwriter0555]

17. As the devil's advocate: I had to make a choice whether to continue to try

to keep a dog I was scared of, possibly endangering my family, our other pets, and anyone who came to the house, or choosing to let a shelter attempt to find a more suitable place for her.

We couldn't take her out; she had to be kept away from anyone who visited; she cost us $4000 when she bit our smaller dog and broke her leg. Trips to the vets for grooming required tranqs, muzzle and a special leash with the vet techs standing by.

I tried for 2 years to find her a new home, but I had to be honest with anyone who was interested; the dog had the potential to be very, very aggressive. She was dear, sweet, affectionate, somewhat loyal and very loving to us. She only wanted to please us, she really did. But her obsessive compulsive disorder on top of her unpredictable aggression, her non-stop barking causing all the nieghbors to hate us was just finally, too much and I worked out a deal with a local shelter I had connections with to make every attempt to find just the right home for her.

She attacked other dogs out in social situations, broke through the fences, gates and doors at every opportunity. She was considered "a runner", a dog who ran away at every opportunity.

She nipped several people who came to visit, one of whom she knew, a child no less, who was just standing in the kitchen, waiting to put her dinner plate in the sink.

We had to feed her separately from the other dogs as she was so food aggressive. At one point, because she hurt her back by loving to chase her ball so much, she slipped a disc, and the only time we had peace with her in the house was when she was so tranquilized that she just laid there all loopy and stoned... it was then we realized what a massive negative impact she had on our household. We worked SOOOO hard to integrate her, adapt her, retrain her, that it broke my heart when she attacked our small dog AGAIN and nearly gouged her eye out leaving a nasty scar on her nose.

Ours was a loving, caring, very attentive home. I spent thousands on a secure fence and gate, lovely landscaping, trees, even to the point of blocking all visuals so she wouldn't freak out. (She even barked at airplanes!) Our front door wasn't iron to keep out crooks, but to keep her in. I spared no expense. We had a dog room, dog doors, they could come and go into the back yard as they pleased, or we could keep them out or in as needed. She slept on my bed, so she was in a loving, caring, compassionate home.

But, she couldn't be changed without massive medication. It was the only way to create a behavior in her that wasn't dangerous to everyone else around her.

I worked in the Animal Control field for almost 10 years as the contract administrator for a small city. I was the daily liaison with the County animal control primarily because of my lifelong experience with animals of all shapes and sizes. I have had animals in my care of every single type imaginable, and have found homes for hundreds and hundreds of animals in my life.

The horrible fact we have to acknowledge is that we cannot save every single animal that we come across in these countless, varied situations. There are just too many, and for most agencies, there just isn't enough money -- and yes, it comes down to money. Humans created the problem, you can count on that, but the solutions are very limited, very sadly.

With out of control breeding of the dangerous animals like pits and rotties sucking our budgets dry, we can't focus on the far more desirable and less dangerous animals we can consciounably save... our resources are spent in rounding up packs of wild dogs and then sheltering them at the demand of the indignant wanna save em all groups. My last trip to the south central shelter in LA demonstrated the enormous drain on basic resources by dangerous dogs when the kennels were in a 10-1 ratio of pits to mutts. For every 10 pit mixes, there was barely 1 mutt or other breed. And most of the pits had dangerous dog signs on the doors... it was so depressing and sad.

The thing is, sometimes choices have to be made. Historically nature has made the choice. The most undesirable, the worst, the wildest, the cruelest die the worst deaths, with a horrible cost to the vulnerable fragile victims along the way.

Humans are charged with now making the decisions about what's best for ALL concerned and not just the individual aspect of who many or many not be impacted.

It's for the good of all, and not for the good of one that choices about putting down an animal are made. They're not easy choices. Believe me, dog owners aren't evil for putting down a bad dog. It's a horrible choice to have to make, but sometimes it is the right choice, if not the hardest choice to make. But, as the humans, it's our responsibility to make those determinations and to protect all concerned.

If you have genuine solutions to these problems, I truly want to hear them. I'm a good hearted person who tried to find as many working solutions as I could... and frankly I left the job because my city council and admins wouldn't back me in the solutions I sought and brough to the table. They just didn't want to spend the money on bringing a shelter into the city operating independently of the County, since the County contract was so much cheaper. I literally shed tears in my job there, because I couldn't find the solutions to these problems.

If you're going to slam me and put me down for being a rational voice of reality, just wait an hour or so and think about something else. I'm just trying to present the other point of view. I don't want to be disrespected here.

I saw that HBO special too, and I cried as well...

[Midlodemocrat]

18. I'm not going to slam you. I respect what you wrote

and what you tried to do for your dog. Sometimes the hard decisions are the only ones.

I can't imagine being in your shoes because we have a very sweet lovable little dachshund who is the antithesis of the dog you mention, so without being where you are, I wouldn't presume to say you did the wrong thing. I think it must have been very difficult for you.

[flvegan]

20. Your situation is different, I think than the original intent of the post.

That's just my guess, but it appears that way. A great many folks do what they can reasonably do far a problematic, troubled animal. It would seem you did the same.

However, a great many folks "get rid of" their animals for shitty reasons, as you know:

*New girlfriend doesn't like (yeah, and when she dumps you, you'll know how it feels)
*Sheds on the furniture (sheds? that's unheard of. wow. amazing.)
*Doesn't MATCH new furniture (at least your face and my ass match)
*Tired of him/her (one more Christmas toy being returned, I see)

Or the endless supply of 8 month old dogs that were such cuuuuuute widdul puppy-wuppies at 8 weeks, but are now "too much to handle"

And yes, I've seen every single one of these MANY times over. And yes, those folks, are assholes...rather, have acted as an asshole in that situation.

[MissMillie]

21. thank you for this

I was going to say...

as bad as it is that you can't handle the animal, there are people out there who would, in lieu of surrendering it to a shelter, simply abandon the animal and leave it to starve or contract a deadly disease.

Sometimes, when an animal cannot be helped, the best you can do for it is to allow it to be put down.

And yes, it sucks. But it's still better than abandonment.

[radwriter0555]

23. I knew that with Blue that with her winning smile and enthusiasm and with

the full knowledge of her afflictions as it were, that the shelter people could make an effort to actually place her in a suitable home with no kids, no other animals etc.

I was lucky; most people don't have the ability to know how to pull favors at a shelter, and I knew which shelter to take her to where she'd have the best odds.

I also made sure I didn't know her outcome. All I can do is hope that some really kind, compassionate person fell in love with her and was willing to handle what I couldn't. I can't hope for any other outcome.

What people also fail to realize is that the people who work in shelters aren't evil. I can't fault a single animal control worker I've ever come across. They're good people who got into the field because they love animals; every single one has adopted some critters they've fallen in love with at work. They get a really bad rap for doing the dirty job that someone has to do, but I have been honored to work with some fine, fine people in that line of business.

[Patiod]

27. I have to admit I convinced a friend to take a dog in

They had just found a dog on the side of the road, and decided to adopt him.

I was babysitting. The dog was on the sofa, and one of her three little girls (all under 5 years old) climbed up on the sofa and tried to pet the dog. I saw it all - the toddler didn't startle him, hit him, hurt him, or touch his eyes or somewhere sensitive. But the dog snapped at the child and continued to growl until she got off the sofa - the dog seemed to be protecting "his" sofa.

I suggested she bring the dog to a shelter (it was a small, attractive animal -- always the easiest to place, according to my friend who works at a HS) and tell them it can't be placed in a home with small children. I felt terrible telling her this, because the poor little guy may have had justifiable issues - he had likely been abused. But she had THREE tiny ones, and they were her priority.

(she got an Australian Shepherd shortly after, and the dog is still with the family as the youngest enters college)

[freestyle]

31. Some dogs do have extreme problems, that's different.

You did all you could do and it was a quality of life issue for your family and other pets as well as for the dog who could be either highly medicated or highly unstable.

It is a horrible shame what has happened with pit bulls. Although they do have an inbred tendency for some degree of animal aggression, they also have an inbred tendency for extreme human affection and loyalty. Irresponsible breeders and criminal owners are responsible for the all-around aggressive pit bulls. We just adopted a pit bull puppy who is sweet to us and to any person he comes into contact with. The worst he would do is lick you to death. The only rough play we have seen so far is with other pit bulls, but there was no escalation to aggression. The fault is not with specific breeds of dogs, but with owners who create dangerous dogs.

[Maddy McCall]

39. Please see post 38.

[crispini]

47. Wow. You did your best in a bad situation.

:hug:

[Divameow77]

19. I think calling them all assholes

is a broad statement, not EVERY person that brings their animal to a shelter is doing it for selfish reasons.

I have never had to give up an animal but my friend did. Her dog bit her son in the face, she was witness her son did not provoke him, she wasn't going to find him another home so he could do that to another child, she gave him up to a shelter and didn't ask questions, she doesn't know what happened to him but she did tell the shelter he bites. If I had to choose between the welfare of my child or my dog, it's no choice.

[Maddy McCall]

40. Point well taken. See post 38.

[Burma Jones]

22. I was the kid holding onto the collar once....(see essay)..

My parents lied and said our Dog had heart worms but that had nothing to do with the fact we were moving from New Orleans to DC in a week.

Later, we got another Dog. I was 15 and had gone to summer camp for four weeks, my brothers had been sent to my Grandfather's farm, my parents were in the midst of a divorce. A friend's parents brought me home to an empty house and a dead dog, maggots eating him, empty water dish, empty food dish and 90+ degree heat - tied up in our backyard, I buried that dog next to a cat that I held onto as it went into spasms and died from mercury poisoning. My folks blamed each other, naturally. I probably should have called the authorities, but I didn't know which parent I was going to live with and whether I was going to live with my brothers anymore - so, I just kept my mouth shut.

[LeftyMom]

24. oh my god

:cry:

[flvegan]

29. Jesus, that's awful.

I'm sorry. On both counts.

[ThatsMyBarack]

26. I'm glad....

1. ....that I adopted my two kitty boys from shelters.

2. ....that I haven't got HBO! ;)

[Texasgal]

30. Maddy....

While I understand your sentiment, there are so many other reasons why people take animals to shelters.

My grandmother took in a kitty that was stray in her neighborhood. She tried to find the owners of the cat, but could not. It was wintertime and the kitty was cold and hungry. She took in the baby and fed it and tried to take care of her. But at almost 90 years old, she found it difficult to do so. She had ( she is deceased now) a very LARGE home and to try and keep the kitty in one area was very hard.

It was a hard decision for her to make, but after consulting with the family, she drove that kitty to the SPCA and made a rather nice donation.

Not everyone that takes an animal to a shelter is an asshole.

[Maddy McCall]

41. Please see post 38.

[SammyWinstonJack]

32. Saw this on Animal Planet where a woman surrendered her

champagne colored poodle to a shelter because she got new furniture and her poodle didn 't match the new color. :wow: I have a Yorkie girl, she was given to us because her family didn't want her any longer. They didn't want to take the time to house break her. They left her in her pet carrier for hours on end and when she was let out, she would have accidents in the house, she was only five mos. old when she came to us. The final straw was when she had an accident on a very expensive rug. :eyes: She was either going to be tossed out of the house or taken to a shelter. :wow: My husband intervened and rescued her. She was one big sore from head to tail. :cry: I took her to the Vet. immediately. After some meds and soothing baths, her skin was back to normal in no time. :-) She is such a sweetheart and I am so lucky to be a part of her world.

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[Xithras]

33. They're far better than the people who dump them in the country.

I've had to shoot far too many starving dogs because their owners couldn't be bothered to take them to a shelter. As I understand it, many of these people erroneously think their giving the dogs a "fighting chance". Really, all they're doing is sentencing them to death by starvation or death by automobile. Unfortunately for those who live in the country, dogs tend to get extremely aggressive when they start starving. I've put four down myself just this past year because they've wandered onto my property and began stalking my animals...and in one case, my daughter.

[Maddy McCall]

42. I definitely agree with you.

[nini]

34. well.... I will withhold judgment on those who do this

because some of them may just not know what the hell else to do in a given circumstance.

Let me tell you why I don't judge. I had a friend who went through a divorce and had to move in with her mother temporarily with her 2 dogs. The mom hated dogs and didn't give a damn when they dug out of the yard one day when my friend was gone. One of them was hit by a car a killed. My friend was devastated as we took the dog to a vet for disposal/cremation. A nosy bitch/customer in there went off on my friend about how she was a lousy dog owner and the dog never should have been allowed to get out of the yard etc etc etc.. I myself had to take an aggressive dog there once we tried to adopt. The dog was injuring our other pets and we tried to train her and never could. We had to make the decision to save our other dogs from constant violence. It was not an easy decision and it broke our hearts to do so.

In a perfect world I agree that animals should be taken care of and loved. Well, you know what? It's far from a perfect world and there are times when shit just happens and we have no control over things and do the best we can at that moment. So, excuse me if I don't assume everyone who has no other options to do that.

[Maddy McCall]

44. See post 38

[NashVegas]

35. They Most Certainly Are Not

When I was growing up, there were no animal shelters - there were only dog pounds, and most people didn't even use them. They took their animals to the other side of town and dropped them off, hoping that someone would take them in (so they wouldn't have euthanasia on their concience). Or you had the weasels who would suffocate or drown whole litters.

Now we have shelters that get the word out, anyway they can, to find new homes for the animals that get dropped off there. In some cities, we also have "no kill" shelters that go the extra distance to a) find homes for problem animals b) screen the hell out of applicants and c) involve their local communities.

I would not condemn anyone who brings an animal that can't fit into their home - for whatever reason - to a shelter. At least they're making an effort to do the right thing.

[Maddy McCall]

45. Yes, we only have dog pounds in our town. Certain death for animals...

that wind of there that aren't reclaimed after 5 days.

Anyway, please see post 38

[Left Is Write]

36. I had to give up a cat that I loved very much.

There were a few reasons for that, all of which I considered legitimate.

I did, however, keep looking until I found a no-kill shelter that assured me they would not put him down (and I had to drive quite a ways to get to that one - you'd think there would be more no-kill shelters/rescues in a large metropolitan area). When I brought him in, I was told they didn't have many cats and they were certain they could get him into a home within a few days.

I cried all the way home. That was more than five years ago, and I still miss him. Leaving him at that shelter broke my heart.

[Maddy McCall]

46. Please see post 38.

[Lilyhoney]

52. Very sad and thank you. nt

[Lilyhoney]

37. My dog came from the shelter.

I don't know who would have given this dog up, but am glad they did because she is the best ever and she has a good life with us.

I looked at thousands of dogs before we chose her. Honestly, thousands. It took us over a year to find the right dog for us. We looked at the shelters on line and I have been to all shelters within 200 miles of here. I even went into compton, which by the way has a great shelter.

It broke my heart looking at all the dogs that were doomed to death.

On two occasions, we almost adopted the wrong dog for us. We are glad that we did not make those mistakes.

[Maddy McCall]

38. I have read all the responses here. I want to change my earlier...

statement, because I am guilty of painting with a broad brush.

I apologize for using the language I did. I was wrong to do so. My point was to say that people who take their animals to shelters because they no longer fit their lifestyle ought to be ashamed. I posted this thread while I was watching that tearjerker of a documentary, watching animals being put down as the camera rolled, simply because their owners no longer wanted them and they were too old to be placed--because most people want to adopt puppies instead of elderly dogs.

I apologize to each of you who have had to make the difficult decision to leave your pet at a shelter, who's decision to turn over the animal wasn't based on your convenience. I am sorry that I didn't recognize the emotional dilemma you faced.

Each of you have made an impression on me today, and I have learned so much from what you've written. Thank you for sharing stories that I know were difficult for you to share.

MM

[NashVegas]

43. Apology Accepted

Peace.

[radwriter0555]

49. You're very classy. One might say, a true liberal!

Big hugs.

[Maddy McCall]

50. Hugs back to you.

I am so sorry about the situation you faced. Your story broke my heart.

:hug:

[Lilyhoney]

51. No need to apologize.

Beside the heartbreak I felt as I left the shelters, sat anger. So much anger.

I was angry at the people who got theese "cute little puppies", took them home, and then proceeded to fuck up theese animals lives by not training them and not being commited to taking care of them.

I saw so many mommas with their puppies at the shelters, because people did'nt fix their dogs to prevent unwanted puppies. Now the momma is unwanted too.

I saw sooooo many rottweilers and pit bulls, it made me sad for theese breeds.

Your point and outrage is very valid. People do turn in their pets because they just don't want the hassle of keeping them.

I saw a dalmation that had it's bark silenced. It just stood there and barked at me without making a sound. It was so sad. Doing this to the dog was not enough, they then gave it to the shelter. What assholes.

I could go on and on about the horrors I saw, but I won't.

I like to think about the positive outcome for my dog Lily.