Real-life MMD: Whose dog is it anyway?

rinabean

Brightness wrote: »

Penypincher, I was thinking the same thing as you about a dog being for life. I'm sorry but I cannot imagine giving up my dogs, I'd rather live in a tent than do so. One is 13 and the other is 4 - he is a rescue, we also lost a rescue just before we had him. When I took on our last rescue, I knew he didn't look 100% healthy and he came from someone we know. There was no way I would ask for help with vet bills - even though we couldn't afford the massive amount over the insurance limit that it cost us & we knew that they could. He was 'our dog' and that was it. However, if it was me who had to let a dog go, I would be offering to pay. Then again, as I said, I'd rather live in a tent than see either of my babies live with anyone else. I didn't get them to give them away - least of all when they got old. They give you years of loyalty and you give them away and begrudge paying to help them get better when they are old

When you are in the tent, where will you get the money for the vet bills?

When you are in the tent, how are you going to feed the dog?

If you have kids, do you really think the kids should live in a tent before you get rid of the dog?

People do have a responsibility towards their pets. I'm not going to attack homeless people who have dogs they can't afford, the last thing they need is me jumping on them, and that dog might be all the family they have, but sometimes the responsible thing to do is to rehome your pet. Sometimes the responsible thing to do is to put your pet down. Responsibility is difficult, it involves judgement. If you really think there's no case where people shouldn't rehome their dogs, I don't think you are responsible enough to own one.


I don't have any advice for the dilemma. If you don't like them very much, don't offer money. If they ask for it, you can decide then. Maybe it's cowardly but I think it's sensible given the awkward circumstances. You did warn him about the costs - I don't think it's on you.

JimmyTheWig

Thanks for sharing, fresian_cow. Sorry to hear about your former dog.

With the circumstances that you've added (given that it was only two weeks later and the dog has been put to sleep) I'd offer to pay half (as long as you can afford this without causing significant hardship to your family).

lilykim

Perhaps your step brother will now think again before taking on the full time care and responsibility of another animal. Like humans they get sick, but there is no animal NHS. As I see it, it is his debt.

xxSaffronxx

andyplymouth wrote: »

If you sold your stepbrother an old car after you had pointed out any defects and it failed its next MoT, would he be expecting you to pay a mechanic for the work to get it through? Enough said

Agreed! :beer:

JimmyTheWig

andyplymouth wrote: »

If you sold your stepbrother an old car after you had pointed out any defects and it failed its next MoT, would he be expecting you to pay a mechanic for the work to get it through? Enough said

I think it is more like selling your step-brother an old car telling him that "old cars can be expensive to keep" and then the step-brother finding out two weeks later that it had an expensive fault that was already there when he bought it.
In which case, again, I would be tempted to offer to pay half.

2dachs

19lottie82 wrote: »

I agree with Avon, if you are in a position to do so then pay your parents but on the understanding that your dog is returned so you can find it a more responsible owner.

Can I just ask, why wasn't insurance in place?

I agree with Avon, I am a dog owner myself and own 2 Dachshunds of which are 12 and 14 years old and the premiums are too high when they get to past 8 years of age, so as i see it my credit card is my friend for vets bills etc... I'm much in a doggie dilemma myself and when my dad passed away in July this year my parents have 2 little Dachshunds also and one of them has diabetes and has to have 2 caninsulin injections each day 12 hours apart and my mum can not get used to administering the needles.
Myself and my sister did say that we'd help out, however i feel short changed as i have 2 part-time jobs and my hubby drops me off at my mum's each morning on his way to work {i can not drive or own a car} and i give little Ada her injection for 9am i then have to wait until my sister drags herself out of bed to come round to my mum's house before noon to drive me back home as i live in the next village 2 miles away, the car by the way was my dad's and is now my mum's car but my sister is the named driver on the car as mum can not drive either.
My sister only lives about 8 doors away from my mum and she does the 9pm injection, but has just started a cleaning job mon-fri 5pm-7pm cleaning offices near to where she lives and she's just said when she finishes work she's shattered and does not know how long she can do little Ada's injections for, she only works 2 hours a day, 5 days a week for christ sake where as last week she told me the job was a doddle, i've told her she's a very selfish witch as i work 5-6 days a week and also do Ada's injections and the only lie in myself and my hubby get any more is just on a Sunday morning.
There's some very selfish people in this world today and most of the time you usually find out it is a family member:(

Mouseboy007

I'd just like to add a grateful thanks on behalf of doggykind that you sorted out the well-being of the dog first before worrying about who should pay for what.

So often the real losers in these situations are the pets.

Best of luck.

upton66

All dog owners with any sense should have pet insurance

Gillsx

Your brothers dog and your brothers fee. Between him and your parents.

dottydoglover

if you feel your parents cant afford it then yes for their sake I worry how much your SB cares for the dog to adopt this attitude and whether he was the right person to take the responsibility in the first place