dogs being dumped - the credit crunch?? see UPDATE on pg. 5

foreign_correspondent

Yesterday afternoon I found two dogs (i seem to find stray dogs very often! five in the last year I think) walking along the side of a main road unattended - they looked like good companions to each other, trotting along amicably side by side, but there was no one with them.

They were two lovely, but timid older mongrels.

I stopped, and to cut a (very) long story short, which involved several other people trying to help, I caught one, but the other was scared off and ran away.

I had already rung the dog warden and he came out and collected one, but the other dog was out of sight. I had ended up running for about a mile and a half to the next village and back looking for her and was shattered, and worst of all I felt dreadful, having seperated this pair of friends. (as the female was running off she kept stopping and looking back at her pal, obviously not wanting to leave him:( )

I was very concerned about how the second dog, who was the most timid, would cope alone. I spent yeterday evening driving around looking for her, with no sucess, and had a restless night, feeling guilty and imagining the poor dog alone and lonely wandering around looking for her pal in the rain.

This morning I rang the dog warden, and happily found out she had actually been caught and handed in later last night, and though the two dogs were seperate (the first having already gone to the kennels, whilst the second one was being held at the vets overnight) they would be going to the same kennels, so I rang the kennels to let them know they were a pair and to re-unite them. :T

The lady I spoke to was lovely and has put them in together, (i bet they are both relieved!), but she sounded shattered, and said that last month they had over 120 dogs brough in, from just two local towns. She said at the moment it is even worse, because of the finances, and they are getting up to six dogs a day in. I think this may probably get worse.

How on earth they can find homes for all these dogs is beyond me, (especailly for two older mongrels like the ones I took in) as is how people can just dump a dog... I would eat beans on toast every night before my dog would go, she really costs very little and is worth millions to me.

However, I have no big debts, and no kids, so maybe I am not in a position to understand why this may not be the case for everyone.

So, what I am asking is...

Would you (or anyone you know) consider dumping a dog because of money problems? If so why? What could be done to prevent this?

Is it just a symptom of our throwaway society, or is there more behind it?

Notsosharp

I hope those two mongrels find a loving home soon, poor things. I can't understand why anyone would just dump their animals, if they could not realistically afford them then fair enough I would guess but there is no excuse just to dump them, not with so many places willing to take them in.

As for me, its hard as fortunately I am not in that situation (touch wood). I would like to think that I would never dump the animals but if I am honest if it came down to a choice of my animals eating or my daughter then they would have to go. But its worrying all the same, I mean if more and more animals get dumped then how are all the rescue centres etc going to cope? :eek:

I would cut back as much as I could to feed my lot, but its like Foreign Correspondant said, they are not really that expensive, my two cats eat whiskers dry food which I buy for about £5.99 I think and that lasts a month....also if there are any other special offers on cat food I will go for that too. They are not fussy cats thank god so they will eat pretty much anything. Their insurance is around £15 a month and thats pretty much all they cost.

The dog is actually my Mums so she pays for the food!

As for the rabbits and guinea pigs their food just cost me £2.57 (for both from the local petshop) and that will last me a week. They have newspaper in their cages instead of sawdust ( and I think its better, since I started using it I have noticed the guinea pigs sneeze less and the rabbit amuses herself by tearing it up) and these are scrounged from the local cafes etc at the end of the day or the freebie newspapers. There is plenty of free grass and plants round where I live and the local market stall will give any fruit and veggies for free sometimes.

The bird is the cheapest, he is a tiny little canary and his food costs about £1.50 and lasts a month, he doesn't eat overmuch.

The most expensive is probably the fish, not food wise but definately in other areas like the electric for running the filter and lights. Also there is a lot of equipment and things that go with them such as testing kits etc.....

I would try my absolute best to keep my animals, I took the responsibility on and therefore its up to me to try and keep to that. But if I did have to get rid I would make sure they went to good homes and not just dump them. I would be forever wondering what happened to them.

BridgetJones_2

foreign_correspondent wrote: »

Would you (or anyone you know) consider dumping a dog because of money problems? If so why? What could be done to prevent this?

Is it just a symptom of our throwaway society, or is there more behind it?

I wouldn't ever consider it, giving up my dog would be like giving away my child (as drastic as that sounds). He's part of my family and he's going no where without me!

It makes me so angry when people are so easy to give up their pets because they can't have them in their rented home, accept your responsibility and MOVE! :mad:

candygirl

I'd never ever consider giving my two up, even though I am work less and benefit less at the moment, due to no supply work and a DWP major c0ck up:rolleyes: :rolleyes: They are my fur babies, and well done FC for going out of your way to help those poor dogs:D

MRSCARNEY

No way, I'd get rid of my husband first

It really annoys me when people dump dogs. I found a lovely whippet near a motorway last year, fortunately it was friendly and I had a lead and a bowl of water in my car so i managed to catch it.

No matter what financial position people are in there is NO excuse for dumping a dog, just take it to a shelter. :mad:

candygirl

MRSCARNEY wrote: »

No way, I'd get rid of my husband first

It really annoys me when people dump dogs. I found a lovely whippet near a motorway last year, fortunately it was friendly and I had a lead and a bowl of water in my car so i managed to catch it.

No matter what financial position people are in there is NO excuse for dumping a dog, just take it to a shelter. :mad:

Been there done that twice, give me the dogs any day:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

child359

I am obviously benefitting from a dog being given up due to the credit crunch because I have just re-homed a springer who was brought in (supposedly:rolleyes: ) because the owners couldn't afford her

However I feel very blessed that she is with us. And honestly it really doesn't cost that much to feed a dog!!!

Insensitive souls just dumping a dog!:mad:

I agree with the husband over the dog thing too;)

jackomdj

I would never get rid of any of our pets - they are part of the family. Funny but I was talking to my DD (who is 4 this month) about responsibility & how if you have a pet then it is yours no matter what - she seemed to understand, but it is amazing how many adults don't.

Nicky

Notsosharp

LOL would definately dump the hubbie ( if I had one) before I dumped the animals! I find they are more use anyway!

Maybe in the coming credit crunch we won't need more pet shelters but somewhere who takes in stray husbands/boyfriends?

sparkle03

Awr Poor dogs, We could never get rid of ours and they have been hard work, There is no excuse for dumping the little things there is always somewhere that will take them in and if you cannot face doing it yourself get a friend or family member to do it for you!

I have two staffys and a tortoise and each one is a part of the family (like another naughty little child!) Hehe Damn it I felt as if I trawled hundreds of kennels when I went away for a week last month finding the 'perfect' second home for the little critters!

pboae

If, due to desperate financial circumstances, I could no longer provide for my dog, I would rehome him before I let him suffer (i.e. go hungry or without vet treatment). But that would be my last resort, when I had absolutely nothing else left to keep him with.

Obviously I would never just dump him.

However, it wouldn't surprise me at all that people do it. It's very common for dogs to end up in the pound over the summer holidays because people dump them when they go on holiday, and then reclaim them when they come back, because it's cheaper than paying for kennels. To me, this is just more of the same.