Giving Up On Your Dog

The following is a post that I found on Craigslist a few months back and it sums up the every day struggle of rescuers who deal with owners that give up their pets.

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Average Pet Owner:

Thank you for contacting us animal rescuers, shelter volunteers, and foster-homes about your inability to keep your pet. We receive an extremely high volume of inquiries and requests to accept surrendered animals (and none of us is getting paid, OK?). To help us expedite your problem as quickly as possible, please observe the following guidelines:

1. Do not say that you are "CONSIDERING finding a good home" for your pet, or that you, "feel you MIGHT be forced to," or that you "really THINK it would be better if" you unloaded the poor beast. Ninety-five percent of you have already got your minds stone-cold made up that the animal WILL be out of your life by the weekend at the latest. Say so. If you don't, I'm going to waste a lot of time giving you common-sense, easy solutions for very fixable problems, and you're going to waste a lot of time coming up with fanciful reasons why the solution couldn't possibly work for you. For instance, you say the cat claws the furniture, and I tell you about nail-clipping and scratching posts and aversion training, and then you go into a long harangue about how your husband won't let you put a scratching post in the family room, and your ADHD daughter cries if you use a squirt bottle on the cat, and your congenital thumb abnormalities prevent you from using nail scissors and etc., etc. Just say you're getting rid of the cat.

2. Do not waste time trying to convince me how nice and humane you are. Your coworker recommended that you contact me because I am nice to animals, not because I am nice to people, and I don't like people who "get rid of" their animals. "Get rid of" is my least favorite phrase in any language. I hope someone "gets rid of" YOU someday. I am an animal advocate, not a people therapist. After all, for your ADHD daughter, you can get counselors, special teachers, doctors, social workers, etc. Your pet has only me, and people like me, to turn to in his or her need, and we are unpaid, overworked, stressed-out, and demoralized. So don't tell me this big long story about how, "We love this dog so much, and we even bought him a special bed that cost $50, and it is just KILLING us to part with him, but honestly, our maid is just awash in dog hair every time she cleans, and his breath sometimes just reeks of liver, so you can see how hard we've tried, and how dear he is to us, but we really just can't "You are not nice, and it is not killing you. It is, in all probability, literally killing your dog, but you're going to be just fine once the beast is out of your sight. Don't waste my time trying to make me like you or feel sorry for you in your plight.

3. Do not try to convince me that your pet is exceptional and deserves special treatment. I don't care if you taught him to sit. I don't care if she's a beautiful Persian. I have a waiting list of battered and/or whacked-out animals who need help, and I have no room to foster-house your pet. Do not send me long messages detailing how Fido just l-o-v-e-s blankies and carries his favorite blankie everywhere, and oh, when he gets all excited and happy, he spins around in circles, isn't that cute? He really is darling, so it wouldn't be any trouble at all for us to find him a good home. Listen, we can go down to the pound and count the darling, spinning, blankie-loving beasts on death row by the dozens, any day of the week. And, honey, Fido is a six-year-old Shepherd-Lab mix. I am not lying when I tell you that big, older, mixed-breed, garden-variety dog are almost completely unadoptable, and I don't care if they can whistle Dixie or send semaphore signals with their blankies. What you don't realize is that, though you're trying to lie to me, you're actually telling the truth: Your pet is a special, wonderful, amazing creature. But this mean old world does not care. More importantly, YOU do not care, and I can't fix that problem. All I can do is grieve for all the exceptional animals who live short, brutal, loveless lives and die without anyone ever recognizing that they were indeed very, very special.

4. Finally, just, for God' s sake, for the animal's sake, tell the truth, and the whole truth. Do you think that if you just mumble that your cat is "high-strung," I will say, "Okey-doke! No prob!" and take it into foster care? No, I will start a asking questions and uncover the truth, which is that your cat has not used a litter box in the last six months. Do not tell me that you "can't" crate your dog. I will ask what happens when you try to crate him, and you will either be forced to tell me the symptoms of full blown, severe separation anxiety, or else you will resort to lying some more, wasting more of our time. And, if you succeed in placing your pet in a shelter or foster care, do not tell yourself the biggest lie of all: "Those nice people will take him and find him a good home, and everything will be fine." Those nice people will indeed give the animal every possible chance, but if we discover serious health or behavior problems, if we find that your misguided attempts to train or discipline him have driven him over the edge, we will do what you are too immoral and cowardly to do: We will hold the animal in our arms, telling him truthfully that he is a good dog or cat, telling him truthfully that we are sorry and we love him, while the vet ends his life. How can we be so heartless as to kill your pet, you ask? Do not ever dare to judge us. At least we tried. At least we stuck with him to the end. At least we never abandoned him to strangers, as you certainly did, didn't you? In short, this little old rescuer/foster momma has reached the point where she would prefer you pet owners to tell her stories like this:

"We went to Wal-Mart and picked up a free pet in the parking lot a couple of years ago. Now we don't want it anymore. We're lazier than we thought. We've got no patience either. We're starting to suspect the animal is really smarter than we are, which is giving us self-esteem issues. Clearly, we can't possibly keep it. Plus, it might be getting sick; it's acting kind of funny.

"We would like you to take it in eagerly, enthusiastically, and immediately. We hope you'll realize what a deal you're getting and not ask us for a donation to help defray your costs. After all, this is an (almost) pure-bred animal, and we'll send the leftover food along with it. We get it at Wal-Mart too, and boy, it's a really good deal, price wise.

"We are very irritated that you haven't shown pity on us in our great need and picked the animal up already. We thought you people were supposed to be humane! Come and get it today. No, we couldn't possibly bring it to you; the final episode of "Survivor II" is on tonight."

Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Pet Owner, for your cooperation.

Author Unknown, but could be any shelter worker or rescue worker. 

Comments

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[scarlett]

the original poster and all posters who agree are narrow minded yuppie morons.
there are plenty of situations where loving good people must give a dog to a better situation for themselves and the dog.
i have cystic fibrosis and my health has worsened and my allergies have worsened.i am already on 9 daily medications and allergy meds cannot be added. my dog who should be living an active exercise filled life is cooped up in this house w me bc i do not have the means or health to care for her properly. forgive me-i am doing 2 hrs everyday of physical therapy to stay alive while taking care of my family.
sure what you are saying does happen-but to make a blanket statement like this is so ignorant.
and i love animals-very very much. but they are not humans. and when it comes down to it, no i won't literally sacrifice my health to keep a dog.

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[wsksmith]

I guess I too fall under the category of the "stupid people".
I bought my family a puppy at Christmas time thinking that they would fall in love with him because he is soooo darn cute. My wife hated him, the kids (age 4, and 14) Were afraid of him because he jumped one them all the time. I spent $600 for him, paid another $150 at the vet becasue he had worms and an ear mite infection, paid $109 at petsmart to train him, bought cages, year ties, puppy chew toys out the ying yang, training treats, etc. I got him potty trained and doing various commands, but the vet and my pet trainer said that this puppy wasn't wired right and had a behaviour problem. he bit at me all the time, wouldn't sit still for more than 3 seconds, slept about 30 minutes a day, that's all, destroyed everyhting in its sight. I had him neutered and still not a dent in behaviour. It pained me big time, but he was causing soooo much stress at home in our house that I felt my marriage was bout to end and my blood pressure was about to pop.
I should have done more research but I feel I failed my dog. I was able to get another home 9at least temporary) thanks to some kind people, but it killed me. I am still strcuk with grief and sorrow and felt like I just attended my best friends funeral.
I know he was just a dog, but I felt he trusted me and I failed him. My advice, any house with kids under 10 years old should shy away from any pets and the whole family must take turns taking care of the pet.
thanks for allowing me to share

[Anthony]

Irresponsible? Irresponsible is placing a dog on the same level as a human, especially your child.

It's great that your so passionate about people giving up your dog. You have a big heart, but don't expect everyone else to. Just because people choose to give up their pet because the relationsip has gone sour doesn't make them bad at all.

So you want to put them on the same level as humans. Alright, I'll play with that. If you, the rightous judging person, finds yourself in a relationship that is a strain on you, do you stick it out for the rest of your life or do you think about what is best for the both of you? Thats the same thing people are doing for their dogs. They are giving their dog a chance for a better life.

[Sophia Tsai]

Korea's capital Soul ,the govermant will through eating dog's meat open.
There are a lot of dogs must be killed and cooks.Dogs like in Hell ,so direful.
I thought the human kind must sets out to help those poor dogs.
To tell Korea's govermant that decree is wrong.

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[Dj]

I am sorry, but some animals are just born wild or "bad". It is a fact of life.

[April]

Seriously, some of these posts I cannot even believe. I had a dog for many many years before we had kids. The dog was our child, and incidentally, she was rescued from the Providence Dog Pound. Of course it was an adjustment for her. It didn't mean we stopped walking her, or playing with her or loving her. The kids weren't her idea of heaven, but she was fine. We never neglected her. Our second dog, Springfield Dog Pound, was a handful, but the sweetest dog you could meet. Our third, Dakin Animal Shelter, is very low key and low maintenance. I can't imagine getting rid of one my dogs for any of these lame reasons. These people are heartless and nothing short of criminal. We had friends years ago with a Springer, great family dog (not that I would ever ever consider a pedigree dog if it weren't a rescue). Anyway, they had kids and the dog was "in the way" and they kept crating it and crating it. And I told them he'd get vicious because he wants to be with the kids and play. Sure enough, he ended up biting a kid. Not typical Springer behavior by any means. Anyway, I honestly wish there were fewer dogs born, and more rescued and people who adopted a dog ALWAYS realized that it's for life, not a lark. Bunch of morons.

[April]

Seriously, some of these posts I cannot even believe. I had a dog for many many years before we had kids. The dog was our child, and incidentally, she was rescued from the Providence Dog Pound. Of course it was an adjustment for her. It didn't mean we stopped walking her, or playing with her or loving her. The kids weren't her idea of heaven, but she was fine. We never neglected her. Our second dog, Springfield Dog Pound, was a handful, but the sweetest dog you could meet. Our third, Dakin Animal Shelter, is very low key and low maintenance. I can't imagine getting rid of one my dogs for any of these lame reasons. These people are heartless and nothing short of criminal. We had friends years ago with a Springer, great family dog (not that I would ever ever consider a pedigree dog if it weren't a rescue). Anyway, they had kids and the dog was "in the way" and they kept crating it and crating it. And I told them he'd get vicious because he wants to be with the kids and play. Sure enough, he ended up biting a kid. Not typical Springer behavior by any means. Anyway, I honestly wish there were fewer dogs born, and more rescued and people who adopted a dog ALWAYS realized that it's for life, not a lark. Bunch of morons.

[kat]

I have a dog that is completely blind (Bubble). He was with me a year before we got out jack russel/rat terrier (Annie).
I love both of them dearly but the jackrat was mean to my blind dog and would fight him until she drew blood. It hurt me to see my little Bubble in pain and so scared of her. We wanted to find her a home that she would get the love and attention she deserved and not be fussed at all the time for her aggressive attitude. So today when a friend came to our door and asked where she could get a dog like Annie I took the opportunity the was given to me to give me baby girl a kind and loving home. Did she deserve to be put into the confusion of a new home after only a year of life? No. And that is what I have been crying about for the last day; But it WAS the best thing for her. These people have another dog and the love to give her that she really needs and deserves. So, am I a horrible person for finding my baby a better home? No, I KNOW I am not. I HAD to get my child (Bubble) in a safe environment. So I did what was right to them both.

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[Jeff]

There are a lot of people out there that can give pets a good home and a better life. If you aren't giving dogs the attention/environment they deserve and want to find them a place where they can live a better life, then you should do everything you can to make that happen. Not all people that "give up their dogs" are bad people - in fact, you could argue that they are good people because they care about these animals enough to know that they deserve better than current circumstances allow.

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