Abandoned!

mech_2

CheeseCat wrote: »

You don't agree with pet ownership clearly, or think that its something worthwhile, that doesn't make people who do flawed!

I didn't say it did. You said my opinion was flawed. I was making a generalisation: Most peoples' pets seem to me to be viewed as little more than a piece of the furniture. Obtained on a whim and then just fed each day until it dies.

It also doesn't make animals 'dirty horrible things' and whatever else you've said on this thread

Stray dogs are dirty horrible things. Please quote me in context.

Some of us, yes. I certainly didn't adopt my cats because 'they were there' - I wanted to have some cats in my home and so I chose to adopt rather than get a kitten from an unscrupulous breeder and encourage the backyard breeders to bring more unwanted animals into the world.

Fair enough.

scorpio_princess

mech wrote: »

Pleasure does not override consequences. Yes, some holidays are pointless. Some people waste huge amounts of money and resources going halfway around the world just so they can inflate their egos when they tell everyone where they've been.

You're just full of joy aren't you :rotfl: Bah humbug

So 'some' holidays are pointless? Which ones aren't then? What the hell is the point in life if we can't have interesting and fulfilling experiences? You can work til the day you die without ever doing anything that might be essentially 'pointless' but is good for the soul if you like, but I sure as hell ain't!

MissMoneypenny

mech wrote: »

OK, but I would suggest interaction with other humans is what is needed here. Otherwise it just seems a bit like shoving granny or the kids in front of the TV to get them out of the way.

I take it you didn't know that studies have shown than owning animals lowers the blood pressure?

mech wrote: »

OK, but they are working dogs, not pets that are discarded on a whim. Unless there's a suggestion that the Police are abandoning dogs due to budget cuts?

You said that animals were pointless. You didn't say pets. Although the animals that visit hospitals and the like, are peoples pets and not working dogs as you thought.

mech wrote: »

The best argument yet. Though if push comes to shove I wouldn't want to count on the dog actually being more than a deterrent. It seems a rather inconvenient way to achieve what can more properly be prevented with the application of common sense.

You have to be male. By "common sense" I assume you mean that women shouldn't go places on their own - such as out for a walk in the park on a nice day? I think you underestimate some dogs if you think they are only a deterrent. My dogs chased off the male who jumped out of the bushes at me. A lot of women choose the breed of dog they get because they want protection when they are out.

mech wrote: »

Stray dogs are dirty horrible things.

Funny you should say that. On a recent internet questionnaire about what women didn't like about men, the number one answer was that a lot of men were smelly.

Hector-The-Inspector_2

MissMoneypenny wrote: »

Abandoned! Are Britain's pets the latest victims of the credit crunch?


" Britain's economic woes are forcing people to abandon animals in unprecedented numbers as desperate families struggle to cut costs by dumping their pets.Animal sanctuaries say they have been overwhelmed by the number of animals delivered to them in recent months as the credit crunch continues to bite and the cost of living rises sharply. "
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/abandoned-are-britains-pets-the-latest-victims-of-the-credit-crunch-831010.html

Another sad side to the credit crunch.

I'm the world's biggest waster, but I give a FIVER every month to the RSPCA, notalot I know, but if more did.................

Phirefly

mech wrote: »

I would imagine most pets are not massively happy in the domestic environment.

Yeah, she hates it.

mech_2

Phirefly wrote: »

Yeah, she hates it.

And what about when you're not around? Regardless, the plural of anecdote is not data.

mech_2

MissMoneypenny wrote: »

I take it you didn't know that studies have shown than owning animals lowers the blood pressure?

I did know that, but I don't view it as the only solution to stress.

You said that animals were pointless. You didn't say pets. Although the animals that visit hospitals and the like, are peoples pets and not working dogs as you thought.

Well OK.

This is rather a divergence from my original point though. Someone said abandoning pets to fend for themselves was oh so terrible. I merely quipped that in the context of cats and dogs they're probably quite capable of looking after themselves. Then I received a pile of abuse from pet owners trying to make me look bad.

Unfortunately I foolishly admitted that I don't see the living room as a place for an animal. I also don't see the ownership of animals high up on the food chain to be environmentally sound and therefore morally dubious where they are not desperately needed. They are typically not desperately needed. So far the reasons for pet ownership I have been given are "I wanted one", "people gain pleasure from them", "they are useful to humans", "wild animals are a nuisance to humans"... Not a single argument that benefits the animal or the wider environment. And yet I'm now a pariah because I don't have one??

As it happens there is an animal in my house. It's a little brown mouse living under the floor. When I catch it, it's going outside where it will be perfectly able to look after itself. And in fact safer, because at the moment I can hear it chewing things and there are mains cables under there.

You have to be male. By "common sense" I assume you mean that women shouldn't go places on their own - such as out for a walk in the park on a nice day?

No, because the chances are she'd be perfectly fine, especially if she's confident enough not to look like a target.

I think you underestimate some dogs if you think they are only a deterrent. My dogs chased off the male who jumped out of the bushes at me. A lot of women choose the breed of dog they get because they want protection when they are out.

Well that's an interesting anecdote and now I know why you make that argument in the first place, but you could not really have predicted what would have happened before the event. Or even what would have happened without the dogs (assuming the dogs weren't the reason you were there in the first place). It's still not something I would like to count upon.

Funny you should say that. On a recent internet questionnaire about what women didn't like about men, the number one answer was that a lot of men were smelly.

I fail to see the relevance of this part to the discussion. Dogs, outside the domestic environment, are dirty. They eat rotting roadkill, they have fleas, they rummage in bins. Please cite studies which show this is not the case.

CheeseCat

mech wrote: »

I fail to see the relevance of this part to the discussion. Dogs, outside the domestic environment, are dirty. They eat rotting roadkill, they have fleas, they rummage in bins. Please cite studies which show this is not the case.

So would humans (and some must do) and any other animal who does not have any better way of survival/fending for themselves.

alyth

I can put only my side to this story.

My partner 6 weeks ago decided, after 13 years, that he didn't want to be with me any more. I have a rottie and 2 cats and live in a 6 bed place with an acre of ground. This is on the market. I will be moving to either a 1 or 2 bed cottage and will be absolutely unable to take my animals with me - no one is going to rent to someone with a rottie unfortunately. My cats have lived together for years, so I want them to stay together. I cannot, despite knowing what good work they do, give my cats to CPL or a similar organisation, as they're used to roming freely in and out of the house as they want. What do I do with my rottie - advertise her and hope that she goes to a good family? my animals mean more to me than anything, and I have to make the decision to re-home them. They have to go, there's no doubt, ex travels all the time so can't keep them with him, and I absolutely cannot take all three with them. This isn't a result of the credit crunch directly, but even if I were able to take them, I can't afford to feed them as I will be on a much reduced income.

My rottie has been my lifeline over the last 6 weeks, she's forced me to go out every day, I have my cats when I go to bed at night, so please no one ever say that animals don't play a part in someone's life. Through the selfishness of a person these animals will have to go somewhere where they may not have as good a life as they have now, and that will forever me on my mind.

Little_Chicken

alyth wrote: »

I can put only my side to this story.

My partner 6 weeks ago decided, after 13 years, that he didn't want to be with me any more. I have a rottie and 2 cats and live in a 6 bed place with an acre of ground. This is on the market. I will be moving to either a 1 or 2 bed cottage and will be absolutely unable to take my animals with me - no one is going to rent to someone with a rottie unfortunately. My cats have lived together for years, so I want them to stay together. I cannot, despite knowing what good work they do, give my cats to CPL or a similar organisation, as they're used to roming freely in and out of the house as they want. What do I do with my rottie - advertise her and hope that she goes to a good family? my animals mean more to me than anything, and I have to make the decision to re-home them. They have to go, there's no doubt, ex travels all the time so can't keep them with him, and I absolutely cannot take all three with them. This isn't a result of the credit crunch directly, but even if I were able to take them, I can't afford to feed them as I will be on a much reduced income.

My rottie has been my lifeline over the last 6 weeks, she's forced me to go out every day, I have my cats when I go to bed at night, so please no one ever say that animals don't play a part in someone's life. Through the selfishness of a person these animals will have to go somewhere where they may not have as good a life as they have now, and that will forever me on my mind.

I'm sorry - but you could still keep your pets - why would you even tell a landlord about the dog? Our neighbours have a dog and have had for the last 9-months, even though the rental agreement specifically states they can't. Personally I would never rehome any of my pets, but I guess that's better than just dumping them onto a charity. I don't understand anyone giving away their animals, but that's probably just me!