What do you think of people who disgard their pets?

I think they are complete bas*ards and they make me sick. They deserve more than a fine. They deserve proper punishments. Animals aren’t objects.

Some people just don’t think about animals as anything but possessions or toys. It’s horrible how they treat them and them just dump them when it’s no longer fun for them. We have people dumping their pets in our neighborhood all the time since the shelters are full. They figure someone will take care of them. We manage to find homes for these pets… but it was the owners’ jobs to do that!

Unfortunately, a lot of people are having to surrender their pets due to the poor economic conditions too. It’s very sad.

I wish people would spay and neuter their pets and take pet ownership much more seriously.

When you take an animal as a pet, you are accepting it as part of your family. If it needs medical attention, you make sacrifices and you do it.
You would never give up one of your kids if you had to move into a smaller place.

I think giving someone a pet is one of the worst things! IF you do want a pet, it is so much fun to pick out your own. I would never pick a bulldog for myself but other people love them. Some people are and always will be irresponsible asses, and cruel. I do think this economy is forcing people to do things they don’t want to. I’ve never had to choose to discard a pet, but I have chosen to put down a pet-it had to be.

A pet is another living creature that you are personally taking responsibility for. You should be prepared to be responsible for it for as long as it will live. People just don’t realize that.
I see it all too often with reptiles.

I think all cats and dogs should be microchipped, then you would know who dumped the animal and they could be fined.

Great idea @rooeytoo In Alberta our animals are microchipped if the people do take them to a vet. Having just written that,I wonder if scumbags would take pets to a vet?

They should go on a register/list for people not allowed to have children…Can’t look after a cat? Definitely no kid for you.

I think it is disgraceful the way some pets are treated. Many dogs are merely used as a fashion accessory, wearing ‘dresses’, diamante collars and carried around in designer carriers.
We have seen the other side of the coin, where we actually rescued a dog, rather than buying from a puppy farm.
We had many, many happy years with our dog – she had been used for breeding, then disregarded when she had had many litters. She was our best friend, and we will never forget her.

Removed by Fluther moderators. Thought i’d save them the job. Pretty much sums up what I need to say.

They had no business owing them in the first place. Giving any living creature as a gift should be discouraged if not outlawed.

I really think it’s shocking. It’s worse after Christmas. So many people buy pets for Christmas, and then decide that they no longer want them…. I think that these people deserve a large fine and/or jail time….

Now if the pet was a gift, that’s different… No one should ever give pets as gifts, as you can never be 100% sure that the recipient actually wants a pet as a gift, or is ready for one. Giving pets as gifts should be illegal… it’s irresponsible. If the recipient gives the pet back to the giver, the giver will probably just dump it in a shelter anyway…

It’s a very sad issue, all in all. I believe that it would be a good idea to make people sign a contract when purchasing an animal. If they violate the contract by mistreating or abandoning the animal, they should face harsh penalties. Right now, all people get is a very small fine, reinforcing the notion that animals are objects with little value. Anyone who abandons or mistreats a dependent animal should receive jail time, at the least.

@randomness Bravo! +GA

@stranger_in_a_strange_land thanks!

I like the concept of the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Utah. There should be more of these nationwide. Gives the poor innocent animals a true second chance.

@SirGoofy Lovely answer. That is exactly what I did – give an animal a second chance. See my reply to this question.

@partyparty Great question!

If you read my profile and look at my avatar, you know my position on this matter.

People should have to register and take an oath before obtaining a pet. They should know their responsibilities and sign a pledge to take care of that pet until death do them part. Kind of like a marriage oath…

Any human being that does not take care of a pet is not much of a human being in my way of thinking!

I think they should be ashamed and I think that they should be subject to the full strength of the law. It saddens me. On the up side, if there can possibly be one, if they are too irresponsible to keep that pet and love that pet – then at least it can have a chance at a loving family elsewhere. Rather than to be kept and mistreated.

Excuse me, changed my avatar…loll..well, did have a picture of Spunky! Had the pleasure of having Spunky in my care for 11 years untill she died in August of this year. She was a stray and the most wonderful lady that you could have ever met. A lady in every sense of the word. She is in Heaven today chasing the squirrels and having fun. What a lady! MISS her SO bad!

@Cotton101 Think we are together on this one Cotton my friend.

@partyparty Thank you my friend..yes, we are!

They never deserved a pet at the first case.

I live in a community of farms, and we have animals dropped off at our home all the time. It disgusts me. My family and I take care of the animal and we always find it a good home, if not just keep it ourselves. I understand that not everyone can do this, but if you need to give your pet away, try to find it a good home before you dump it along side the road or in an animal shelter. There is nothing wrong with animal shelters, it is better than the street, but shelters are very crowded and the animal can’t possibly get all of it’s needs met, such as affection and exercise. If you are giving a pet as a gift, you better know for sure that the person wants an animal, don’t just give it to them because you think it’s a great idea, it may not be, and it could lead to the abuse and/or the homelessness of another animal.

Agree with the first post from Dibley. I think the word “Animals” should be applied to the pet “owners,” not the pets.

@engineeristerminatorisWOLV thats a bang on answer!

I think I’d go crazy without a pet around. I grew up with dogs (and a bird), so that’s probably why. I understand that some people aren’t able to take care of pets (e.g., my uncle, who struggled with bipolar disorder and couldn’t even take care of himself; I don’t know why he got a dog and it didn’t last long). Some, though, are fully capable and still treat animals poorly.

My friend and I picked up a cat off the street earlier this year. I’m very allergic so I entrusted it to him. It’s a surprisingly good cat considering it came from the streets, but when it does something disagreeable he traps it under a big plastic bin for a while. I’ve seen him spray (a lot of) Febreeze in its face. He likes to hold it from its front legs and then flip it backwards in the air to see whether it will land on its feet. He’s kicked it. Pretty stupid stuff, really.

I told him we should get it its shots and neuter it, but he ignored me. I told him to figure out whether he could take it home this winter, but he neglected to tell his parents. All it took was a phone call but he wouldn’t do it. I told him we should look for shelters or for someone willing to hold the cat, but he wouldn’t do that either. Finally I think he just threw it back outside, right as winter was beginning to get bad. Seems he’d only wanted it as a toy while he was at school, and couldn’t be bothered with taking care of it once he’d returned home.

I guess I’m just venting, but I’m still angry about it.

There was a time when dogs were revered by everyone, they were working members of the communities they lived in. They made life better for everyone there. They hunted, tracked, protected, etc. Now, they have become accessories like Paris Hilton’s little dog. She dresses it up to match her outfit then she gets drunk and forgets where she left him. You ask who is the irresponsible party in your scenario. both parties. The giver and the receiver. One should have known the “gift” would be unwelcome, the other should have had the “balls” to say no. You can tell so much about a person by how they relate to animals. I have no use for people who have no use for animals. I have contempt for people who mistreat animals.

When most people think of having a pet, they think of all the great things, like the unconditional love and affection a pet can give you. There’s something about having a pet that makes a family seem whole. I agree with all those things. I have had pets all my life (dogs, cats, turtles, fish, mice, a ferret… my family just loves animals!) and can’t imagine not having one. But a lot of people who have never owned pets don’t think of the difficulties and responsibilities that come with owning a pet. You have to give it attention every day, even when you’re tired, and there’s the cost of food, visits to the vet, pet sitters when you’re away, vaccinations, the list goes on. It’s like having a child. Most people put a lot of thought into having children, but decide to get a dog or cat on a whim. When the owners realize having an animal is not just fun and games, that’s when the animal begins to suffer.

It’s so sad to see all the neglected pets out there, not to mention how many pet owners don’t spay or neuter their animals. It just results in more and more animals without homes.

I watch Animal Cops a lot, and even though I’m happy there are people fighting for animal rights, the punishments people get for abusing and neglecting their pets is disgusting. Starving an animal to near death gets, what, a fine? It’s rare if anyone gets real jail time. You get worse punishment for smoking pot.

Of course, when people start advocating for harsher punishments for people who abuse animals, there are people who say, “What’s the big deal? It’s not as important as murder.”
In my opinion, beating, starving and neglecting an animal is just the same as doing it to another human being.

I agree with @Cotton101 about taking an oath to care for your animal before being allowed to adopt. I know there is a screening process for adoption, but it clearly is not enough to stop all the animal abuse we see in this country.

@Cotton101 I feel your pain. I just lost my old gal too. She was the most gentle soul I have ever known. She nursed stray kittens, raised baby bunnies, birds and me.

@Silhouette still hurting over her…have you ever seen her pic?

Really..nursed kittens, bunnies, etc..Wow.

sometimes, you have to tell me about that..got some stuff to do..see you later my friend.

@Cotton101 I’ll see you later, take care.

Well as @engineeristerminatorisWOLV has already said here they shouldn’t be allowed to have pets in the first place..although you and I may not be able to do such a thing, sadly the world is full of people who just don’t give a damn..after all if they can neglect children what chance does an animal have!
They abandom them when they are old because they can’t afford to pay for vet fee’s?
What they abandom family? its an excuse if you ask me as they can’t be bothered and if it were up to me I’d stop them from owning another animal.

I know people will probably disagree, but I think breeders (ALL OF THEM) should be shut down, at least until the pet population is under control. The main problem in this situation is overpopulation – yes, irresponsible owners do drop off their pets as well, but that’s not the main issue here. There is no reason for us to have hundreds of different breeds of dogs, especially those who are bred to be “cute” (designer breeds) – if you are going to love a pet, it shouldn’t matter what it looks like. If you need a working dog, I guarantee you that there are mutts who will pull just as good as a husky does, not to mention that it will most likely have less genetic defects because its gene pool will be much wider. Before any more dogs are purposely bred, we need to care for all of the millions of homeless ones.

Also, I think all first time pet owners should have to take a course and pass a test, including having an untrained puppy in their home for a few days. Parents need to be aware that just because little Meghan or Tommy wants a puppy, doesn’t mean your house and lifestyle are good for one – the dog will need lots of attention, exercise, and care that will cost a lot of money and time.

Lastly, ALL pets should be spayed or neutered. Period.

@stemnyjones you have made some very valid points there…thank you!
Breeders are among the worse culprits among animal cruelty you only have to look at who runs the kennels clubs (also a valid member/director of crufts)..they way they have breed dogs to make money is disgusting..look at the Bull Dog they can hardly breath now because of those sicks breeders..
thanks for pointing these issues out!!

I think it’s despicable, but there’s one case of an abandoned dog for which I am grateful – my own dog is a rescue who was abandoned as a puppy. She’s been part of my family now for 9 years and she is very much loved.

Talking about breeders..if you ever gone to a flea market, you will find lots of them. When you see those puppies without much life in their bodies, you know they have inbred those dogs. All about making money off animals.

Thought many times people should have to have a license upfront to own a dog. They should be required to take an oath before being given one of God’s great gifts. Also, breeders should have to have a license and have papers to prove the dogs have not been inbred.

Totally agree Stemnyjones! Shut them down.

Have no use for a human being that mistreats animals in any shape, form, or fashion.

People don’t even treat other people well. What can we expect when it comes to pets?

The pet I had to put down came from a shelter. They thought she had a fear of men. No men in our house at the time so we took her. She seemed okay for a few months when she coul be outside in summer but when it got cold her personality went haywire. We took her to our vet and he said she was spending her days afraid and we were doing her harm by making her live. So he put her down and so many years later, I still think I must not have tried hard enough with her.

@tinyfaery very good point my friend!

I do what I can to reduce the population of discarded pets. All of my animals have always been rescues, including the current five dogs, my avatar (who died of lymphoma two years ago), seven current cats, and somewhere around twenty cats who mostly lived to their late teens before it was time to help them be out of pain. I also volunteer at various no kill shelters, and I happily talk up the advantages of rescued pets to anyone who will hold still long enough.

I don’t have unlimited time or resources, but I do what I can.

Pets are a privilege, not a right. They are not disposable objects or toys to throw out when you can’t be bothered with them any longer or find it difficult to toilet train etc.

We are incredibly lucky and fortunate to be allowed to have these wonderful animals in our lives and receive their unconditional love and affection in a regular basis. Nothing upsets me more than people hurting an animal who puts their trust in us. I’m getting teary now, how silly.

I get so ANGRY when I hear of pets being disgarded, hurt or neglected. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr >:8

I don’t own my dog, he is a part of my family to which he is treated with the love, respect and dignity that he deserves.

There is a commercial on tv about abused animals and I get a thick throat every time I hear it. My Pepper ( best dog in the world) was an abused dog we got at our shelter. We had to take her the day the kids and I found her as she was to be euthanized. She came camping with us and we loved her from the get go.

@faye I’m so glad that there are people like you who take in animals from terrible backgrounds and give them the love and care they deserve. Animals are incredibly resilient; even those who have gone through terrible abuse can become happy, healthy pets when put in the right home. Thank you for being a great pet owner. :)

Thank you @Theby for all the volunteer work that you do for the animals.

I love and panpurrr my cats like crazy.
I hope I will always and furever be able to give them the care that they need.
They bless my life so much. I bless them right back.