Don't breed your dog unless you have £1200 spare

foreign_correspondent

A family claim they had have their b1tch put to sleep whilst she was in labour when complications developed and they could not afford the £1200 for a ceasarian...

..,. interestingly, they seem to blame the vet for this, rather than their own irresponsible behaviour - surely anyone considering breeding their b1tch would know emergency vets bills may well be incurred? - and that if you are unable to afford them that euthanasia may be the only humane option?

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2010/04/19/pay-1-200-vet-bill-or-we-ll-put-dog-down-115875-22195777/

poor dog, exploited for money, with so little thought or care for her welfare...

Sagaris

Is there a Staffy shortage then, that they need to breed even more? Rescues are full of them, they were a bit irresponsible IMO, but if they were breeding they should have looked into it properly. Perhaps if they had, they might have had time to save up for such an event before mating her?

Sagz_2

A shocking situation to put your much loved pet in.

foreign_correspondent

Sagaris wrote: »

Is there a Staffy shortage then, that they need to breed even more? Rescues are full of them, they were a bit irresponsible IMO, but if they were breeding they should have looked into it properly. Perhaps if they had, they might have had time to save up for such an event before mating her?

... sadly, some people still seem to think there are - despite the fact that the rescues are full of them, and that they make up the bulk of the 9000 unwanted dogs put to sleep each year... there have been several threads on here about people wanting to breed their staffs.. why anyone why cares about the breed would even consider adding to the problem at the moment is beyond me..!

However, these people didnt even care about their own dog, clearly.

ETA - it is worth remembering that Pet Insurance WILL NOT cover costs associated with breeding!

Sagaris

The rescue we are dealing with at the moment has so many Staffies / Staffy cross breeds it breaks your heart! Unfortunately they have a certain 'name' with the local chavvy lads round here, who use them as a status symbol and bin them when they come to their senses and realise they need proper training and looking after.

Really sad.

gratefulforhelp_2

What a sad, sad story. Even "reputable" breeders can't turn down a fast buck (some of them) we were on a list for a labrador puppy from a KC reg breeder and so many things she said rang warning bells that we backed out.
She may have been KC reg but she was pushing it, the puppies wouldn't be KC reg because....and....and....

gremlin

Sagaris wrote: »

Is there a Staffy shortage then,?

Not in Newcastle Cat & Dog Shelter(s) where most of the unwanted animals from Cramlington (where this couple are from) will end up.

At my last visit there the most prevalent of the rescue dogs were staffy or staffy Xs. Closely followed by Greyhound/Whippet types. Combined, these dogs filled more than 50% of the cages.

lostinrates

gremlin wrote: »

Closely followed by Greyhound/Whippet types. Combined, these dogs filled more than 50% of the cages.

I was offered a lurcher this weekend, they are desperate to find a home for. It nearly broke my heart not to take it.

cinderellacomplex

That's so sad

I will hopefully be having a litter from my current border collie when she is older. She's only one now but I have already have a conversation with my vet about it and they were very helpful. I knew about all of the health tests which she is now getting done, but the vets can also give you advice on things like the build of dog to choose to lower the risk of needing a C-section. I know that there is still a chance that she will need one, but I would never ever get her put down if she did. Even if by a twist of fate my bank accounts had been completely wiped I would try and negotiate a payment plan and cut back in other areas, turn my phone off and eat baked beans for while!

Soubrette

lostinrates wrote: »

I was offered a lurcher this weekend, they are desperate to find a home for. It nearly broke my heart not to take it.

I don't know about lurchers but greyhounds are (in general) a very low maintenance dog compared to say a lab.

Sorry to hear about that poor dog FC, it really reinforces my view that having insurance isn't always enough, you have some 'pet' money for just incase things anyway (tooth operations, having to pay up front and then reclaim insurance money etc).

And of course no responsibility taken by the owners

Sou

chucknorris

It's hard for me to comment on this, I'm not sure what I feel towards the dog's owners. Was £1,200 really so hard to find, the article said 'offers' were made to help them. I would have left no stone unturned in an effort to save my dog.