Puppy - how people feel about it

↑ BH Yom Yom ↓

Fri, Jun 26 2020, 7:10 pm

amother [ Violet ] wrote:

I wish there were a way to regularly interact with a dog without having to have a dog in the home, so that one family member could have the dog while the rest do not.

Many rescue shelters would love volunteers to come play with the dogs and take care of them, go on walks, etc. That is a good option for situations where one member of the family wants a pet and the rest do not.

↑ BH Yom Yom

Fri, Jun 26 2020, 8:48 pm

notshanarishona wrote:

Why does a pet need to be a long term commitment? Animals are in this world to benefit humans. If someone can benefit from having a dog at a certain stage of life , lets say the kids really want it or they need it for security, what could be wrong with having a dog for a year or two and then passing him onto someone else? People first.

Animals are living beings. They are not objects to be passed along as hand-me-downs when the novelty wears off. If a person is unwilling to commit to caring for the pet long-term, it’s better that they not adopt. Short-term ways that a person can “have” a pet without the commitment could be pet-sitting, fostering, or volunteering.

Aside from that, people who get a pet on a whim, keep it for a bit, and then decide they don’t want it may be unlikely to exert much effort into ensuring that the “someone else” they pass the pet along to is equipped (financially as well as emotionally and physically) to take care of the pet, or even that they are non-abusive. I volunteer in animal rescue and have witnessed horrible situations that no animal should be put into, because the prior owners couldn’t be bothered to ensure that the subsequent owners were safe for the pet. Many small pets in particular (cats, bunnies, small dogs) are at risk of being used as bait in dog-fighting rings. Look up “tragedy of ‘free to good home.’”

See the following example - no time to post more now but feel free to PM me for additional cases:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/a.....82264

Adopting a pet means being committed to taking care of that pet and keeping the pet safe. ALWAYS. Animals do not have a voice. They are dependent on their owners. It is up to pet owners to be respectful of their safety, responsible for their care, and vigilant in ensuring that whoever assumes subsequent responsibility for them is kind, equipped, and trustworthy.

As an aside, being shifted around from home to home can result in increased negative behaviors, aggression, fearfulness, etc., making the pet less likely to be adopted again since people don’t want to undo negative behaviors.

↑ moonstone

Sat, Jun 27 2020, 3:24 pm

BH Yom Yom wrote:

Thank you, you said it better than I could. Adopting a pet knowing it'll only be for a short time is cruel and abusive. This isn't a stuffed animal, it's a living being with feelings that is going to be horribly sad, confused, and fearful when taken away from the family it knows and loves. The cavalier attitude of the poster BH Yom Yom was responding to makes me hope they never adopt a pet.

aliavi

Sun, Jun 28 2020, 12:05 am

notshanarishona wrote:

Sounds like what you have in mind is medication or therapy not a living creature

amother

↑ Vermilion

Sun, Jun 28 2020, 1:12 am

notshanarishona wrote:

Because it's not ethical to ship your dog off to a shelter because it's no longer a cute puppy or convenient or YOU have 'moved on to another stage in your life'. Dogs form a bond with their owners and where they live, it's not a game of pass the parcel.

And I'm saying this as someone who's not even keen on dogs. Be a mentsch.