Dog topic... controversial

[Ryan Johnson]

Ryan, while I agree with you to a point I have to say, one of the most aggressive dogs I know is a boxer named Hemi. He belongs to my hay supplier and he would happily tear chunks from anyone who comes in the yard until his owner talks to him. If you roll down your window to talk to him (or even make eye contact with the window closed) he will lunge at the window. He is a very scary dog, the exception (there always seems to be one) to the rule since most boxers are not aggressive unless they are really provoked.

Wow had No idea that a boxer could be like that. My Boxer Laila has the most scary bark but then when she sees you she wags her tail and is a dead giveaway shes not a guard dog in the least.

I have to agree with Ashley, I have known elderly people and know people in general that are not very well off. Not being able to do alot of extra things outside daily living because they just couldnt afford it. They certainly make sure their animals are fed and attended to as they should be. Sometimes a pet is all they have and you can truly see the love they have for each other.

On the other hand I have seen pets mistreated by some of the wealthiest people around, including horses.

As long as an animal can be cared for and loved by their owner, I dont think it really matters how much $$ they have as long as they can afford to provide for their pets and can continue to do so.

If you agree to take on the responsibility of an animal then you should be prepared to care for it for the rest of its life, circumstances permitting of course.

Do you believe that certain breeds of dogs are just trouble and should be avoided ?? or do you think that it rests on their upbringing and how they are trained and handled ?

 

[FurstPlaceMiniatures]

My great aunt is a very sweet all be it a but 'confused' elderly lady who loves animals. She had a pit bull wander into her backyard and take up shop. She eventually let him in her house. She calls him a 'stafford shire bull' but there is zero debate he is full on red nose pit.

I will say some higher power must have sent her this dog. He has done nothing but good for her, she walks him daily, he protects her house (it was broken into multiple times, since this dog not once), and he has made her make friends in the community. He is good with her cats and bird, and has really lifted her spirit. All she posts about on Facebook is her dog, and he keeps her active. He seems to know she is his person and he needs to be careful with her.

However it does concern me he is a pit. And a rescue with an unknown background at that. Who knows of and when this dog will hurt her. He's an 80lb burly looking red nose and she is a tiny sweet old lady. It's funny as heck to see the pictures of them. You can just see so much love in his eyes for her. I don't think this is the breed for her. But, 'Pup' does seem to be the dog....

 

[Riverrose28]

I certainly hope no one here ever experiences hard times. You can be working and well off one day with savings and broke in no time if you lose your job and or your health. So then you are saying since these people are now living on a limited income after returning to work that they should give up their beloved pets, I think not. WE all just went through a horrable recession, I know of many that are just now recovering the past year or so, one of my daughters still is struggling, (I have her pets in my care). I was a groomer and vet assistant for over 30 years before retiring, we had many clients that were elderly, alone, or low income. We always worked with them to make payments, some that were widowed or really bad off would bring us cookies or knit neck scarves or little pins and trees at Christmas. Some never paid at all. We also had many disabled clients that couldn't walk and I would bring their pets in for them, or drive to their home to deliver their pet. Some paople only have their pet for company and even then are still lonely. I'm sad to say those days are gone, the kindly neighborhood vet is a thing of the past. I must pay up front to have a vet look at one of mine and I've been going to them since I retired in 2001. I've been using my equine vet since 1977, they used to give senior discounts multi horse discounts, etc., also let you make payments, but since so many bad apples didn't pay at all, now you must pay when services are rendered. I can understand how somwone going through a rough patch wouldn't be able to properly provide vetrinary care. Then I've seen those that would feed their pets before themselves. We should try to be alittle more understanding and less judgemental of those less fortunate then us. My computer wont's let me use the smily faces so no smily with big girl panties.

 

[Minimor]

Right on, Riverrose!!!

 

[Ryan Johnson]

^^^^^^^ Like - Riverrose ^^^^^^ Very True and very well said.

To come into hard times is terrible enough but then to have to give up your animals would be horrendous. I hope that never happens to any of us.......

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

Very well said Riverrose! Financial fortunes for many of us can be up and down then (hopefully ) up again, dogs don't care if you are rich or poor, they just love you. In our town there is a homeless man who has a dog. Although I don't know it for a fact I was told the dog was a stray and the man felt they had that in common. He has nothing, but he still has a need for love. He saves something from his soup kitchen meals to give the dog every day, a generous but anonymous person has been kind enough to drop of a bag of dog food now and again and the dog never looks starved but I am sure he gets no vet care. If they didn't have each other the dog would be in a cell in the pound for its entire life. It would have all its shots, regular meals and its health needs dealt with promptly but it would have no one to love or be loved by. The man would have one less reason to see life as a good thing and be deprived of that connection if he didn't have that dog. I for one would not claim that the vet care was more valuable to the dog nor that the man should give him up.

 

[Sonya]

I really don't care if I sound heartless, it's personal responsibility! If you can't afford to feed yourself you should not have animals! I'm so sick of this entitlement attitude that this country has. My boat keeps me from being depressed, therefore if I lose my job and can no longer afford it and need help feeding myself, you all better be on board for paying for my groceries as well as gas for my boat, my boat payment, etc...after all I've been paying taxes for 30 years, I am entitled to have that boat! It's my constitutional right!

I can remember a few years ago there was a healthcare thread here on the porch...someone was complaining how they should have free healthcare because they couldn't afford to pay the premium, all the while having 12+ horses in their yard. Yes I should pay your healthcare because you choose to have a dozen horses and don't take responsibility for yourself or your family..BS!

At the grocery store yesterday I watched a man buy $130 worth of junk....hot pockets, pizza rolls, Fritos, cheese puffs, Oreos, ice cream everything that came out of his cart was pure processed junk, then I and other taxpayers paid for it with that bridge card he carried.

If I sound bitter it's because I am! Just because you can have a dog doesn't mean you should! If you can't afford to feed yourself you shouldn't be bringing animals (or children) into the equation.

I am all for helping someone who is down on their luck, programs in this country are suppose to be a helping hand not a way of life!

Ending my rant!

 

[shorthorsemom]

I like most dogs better than most people outside of my inner circle of close friends.

Dogs love us more than themselves.

When you are having a crappy day, only your dog loves you just for being you. They don't care if you are fat or pretty or if your hair needs coloring. They live to please and love.

My vet used to let a elderly client with limited income pay her vet bill in tomatoes from her garden. She would line them up on the counter and he would tell her that she grew the best tomatoes he ever tasted. It warmed my heart to see him mark her bill as paid and take those tomatoes back to his office.

She was not his only charity client.

That said... there are many cases where the dog is not doing well in the situation they find themselves in... and with that I agree it is not a right for everyone to have a dog. My dog Bonnie lived with an elderly man. Whoever gave a puppy to an older man for a companion should have been watching to be sure she was cared for properly. When he went into a nursing home... and Bonnie was left alone in the house with neighbors letting her out... I decided to bring her home with me. The mans son signed her papers over to me. What I got was a pure bred Tibetan spaniel. She was 6 years old... She was not spayed, she had a false pregnancy, ear infection, bladder infection and bladder stones. She was not housebroken or crate trained and she barfed for car rides.

Her situation was sad. She was his company, but he did a bad job caring for her. She would pee and poop in this guys bed because he would not get up to let her out.

That was quite a few years ago.. she is now 12 years old. She was neutered, she has clean ears, is well groomed, housebroken and has the run of my house. Her former owner and his son still tick me off to think of it... They did not have the dogs best interest at heart.

cheers.

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

Yup, each situation is unique and should be judged as such. Should this homeless man be given a puppy? I would say no, nor should he be left with an intact female but his dog was a street dog just like he is homeless and they seem to offer each other so much I for one do not begrudge him his friend. I am not sure if the same good Samaritan who supplies the dog food also helps in other ways or not. It would be nice if that were so but I can't say one way or the other. Life IMO is complicated and it seems easier for most of us to judge what we see is wrong rather than offer to help keep it right. But then I am a Canadian who has grown up in a country that has always (in my lifetime) had free health care and welfare for those who need it. I see many problems with the system and for sure am frustrated by those who get on the bus for a 'free ride' but I'm still very grateful to live where getting sick when you are out of work won't cost you everything you have.

 

[Ashley]

Again, coming from the mental health world I can tell you it would be far more expensive if we took away their pets then letting them keep them. When I say far more expensive, that expense comes in several different aspects. There is a reason they in some prisons, allow the prisoners to train dogs. There is logic behind it. How about taking some of that anger and turn it into education and eye opening.

 

[Ashley]

additionally how do you really know who really needs a helping hand and who doesnt? What they buy for food, have for pets, have for clothes doesnt tell you anything other than the JUDGEMENT you create when you make the decision.

 

[Sonya]

Ashley when I see the same women use her bridge card every week at the local store and then climb into her brand new escalade while talking on her brand new iPhone, you can bet I'm going to judge her! After all she is using mine and others money to purchase her food and apparently her fancy car, I've earned the right to judge her. The abuse of welfare and other programs is appalling. Most people who are on these programs for years and even decades are abusing it and they know how to work the system. Therefore we aren't helping them we are just enabling them.