View Full Version : Unwanted pets
connieb19
02-Jan-08, 20:50
Is it just me who is annoyed/upset at the number of unwanted pets advertised on here recently? This is not directed at anyone in particular as there are so many of them just now. Whatever happened to the saying "a pet is for life?"
I know with my own pets I'd do anything rather than get rid of them, they are part of the family and the day anything happens to any of them I will be heartbroken. I know not everyone feels this way towards their animals, so why bother getting them in the first place or breeding from them? [disgust]
I agree 100% Connie, you have to think long and hard before acquiring a pet, can you give it a lifelong commitment, if the answer is no get a photo of one instead!
It's a damn shame that a pet has to find a new home just because the novelty has worn off [evil]
I couldn't have said it better myself, It's that good old throw away society attitude.
When I take on pets they are here as a lifelong commitment, If I buy my child a pet, I do so on the understanding that in time she may lose interest but that pet is STILL my responsibility until the end of it's natural life.
It is also up to parents to instill responsibility into their children, You wanted the pet, you cannot walk away when you get bored!!!
The parent must always but primary caregiver to any animal but the child must do their share of the work also. That is how I was raised.
I find it upsetting to read of more and more unwanted animals. I know sometimes it's not the pet's owner's fault if they can no longer look after the animal, sometimes you find they've just gotten rid of one anilmal and they go and get another.
It's also upsetting that an animal can't be looked after any longer and rather than find a suitable home and put the animals welfare first, they try and make a fast buck from it.
Totally agree with you all.
My circumstances have changed several times in the 12 years I have had Cara, but somehow you find a way that works and battle on. Not once did it ever cross my mind to rehome her.
connieb19
02-Jan-08, 21:02
Totally agree with you all.
My circumstances have changed several times in the 12 years I have had Cara, but somehow you find a way that works and battle on. Not once did it ever cross my mind to rehome her.Exactly, I've had to work my life around my pets rather than just get rid when the circumstances changed. There's nothing worse than seeing the same people having puppy after puppy or kitten after kitten because they are cute and fluffy, only to be wanting rid of them a couple of months later. [evil]
I know i'm only talking small animals, but they matter just as much. When i bought 2 gerbils, believing they were males:roll: i ended up with 4 more. It didn't cross my mind to get rid of them, instead i forked out nearly £80 for a larger cage so that there would be room for them all.
My son gave me the usual, i can't be bothered with them, their boring now, a swift kick in the backside changed his mind.
My Aunt has a large dog, she doesn't keep very well but her dog is for life and everyday in all weathers ensures he gets a good long walk. She'd never dream of re-homing him.
dragonfly
02-Jan-08, 21:43
yes it does make me go "[evil]" as personally I could never give up any of my pets no matter what the circumstances, but I understand that not everybody has the same commitment to pets as I and others do.
potential owners should think long and hard about all aspects of any animals welfare before taking on the responsibility of a new pet and if you cannot commit to all of the animals requirements then that pet is not for you.
a pet is for life not for a month or so
and not for the life span of a child's interest [evil] Baby animals grow up, if you love them they will always be cute to you.
But if people are no longer interested or able to cope maybe it is better that they find new owners rather than neglect them.......:(
But if people are no longer interested or able to cope maybe it is better that they find new owners rather than neglect them.......:(
If they are no longer interested then they weren't animal lovers to begin with.
If you can't cope with the animal for various reasons then by all means find it a loving home, but don't cash in on it.
Then they should have thought harder about it before getting the animal. Yes there are situations where people can no longer cope and in these genuine cases people are just wanting a genuine loving home for their companion, Thats ok by me but people who endlessly have pets for rehoming or are selling and replacing absolutely crack me up.
What kind of lesson does it teach a child when they stop wanting to go and play with their pet and the parent does not step up to the responsibility?
connieb19
02-Jan-08, 22:13
But if people are no longer interested or able to cope maybe it is better that they find new owners rather than neglect them.......:(That's true Torvaig but it's often the same people trying to rehome pets time and time again. :~(
That's true Torvaig but it's often the same people trying to rehome pets time and time again. :~(
and it makes you wonder why they bother..I was going to rehome our dog coz i could not give him the time he needed, but then i could not do it..They are part of the family and thats the way they shall remain until death do take us all.....
Then they should have thought harder about it before getting the animal. Yes there are situations where people can no longer cope and in these genuine cases people are just wanting a genuine loving home for their companion, Thats ok by me but people who endlessly have pets for rehoming or are selling and replacing absolutely crack me up.
What kind of lesson does it teach a child when they stop wanting to go and play with their pet and the parent does not step up to the responsibility?
very well said..Thats why i started with one rabbit and we now have seven.The kids talked me into keeping one from each litter, and we adopted one...We also took home two cats and a dog.....
blondscot
03-Jan-08, 00:21
i got myself continental gaint rabbit and a cross gaint who i thought was female and they all lived together in their house and he was male so all females had babies many of them died but the ones i have i never rehomed i kept them, getting the 4 males neutered i didna have the heart to home them!
porshiepoo
03-Jan-08, 00:43
In a perfect world pets would stay with their initial owners till the end of their days but quite often circumstances demand that an animals best interests have to be put first and unfortunately this often means rehoming.
I would prefer to see owners admit mistakes or loss of interest and try to do what's best for the animal and rehome it, rather than keep it through some warped sense of responsibility and not be able to provide what's best for it.
One of the biggest parts of animal ownership is responsibility and this means making decisions that will benefit the animal. It's not usually an easy decision to make.
There are alot of animals around (I've seen plenty up here) where you just wonder why the owner doesn't rehome it, such is its apparant neglect. So as far as I'm concerned one person actually admitting that they can't cope is probably one less animal being neglected.
Very true porshiepoo, but some people replace that animal a little while down the line and the whole circle starts again [disgust]
and it makes you wonder why they bother..I was going to rehome our dog coz i could not give him the time he needed, but then i could not do it..They are part of the family and thats the way they shall remain until death do take us all.....
I took my hat off to you Justine for keeping Bingo. I struggle to get myself and one baby organised to get out for walks [lol] But you must be a genuine animal lover ;)
wotchooterapolis
03-Jan-08, 13:51
That's true Torvaig but it's often the same people trying to rehome pets time and time again. :~(
I think you all might be being a bit judgemental here, when you don't know all individual cases. Although I agree that parents should'nt buy pets coz the kids want them.
Connie if you think that it is the same folk trying to rehome pets all the time and you are the animal lover you say you are then should you not report these people.
As for the original posting on this topic, I don't see the loads of unwanted pets in here that is being suggested.
pirateeye
03-Jan-08, 15:28
i wasn't gonna reply to this thread but i feel i have to because of what has been said about giving the animal away.
you say it's wrong to sell on the animal to a 'good new home' and it's wrong to make a 'fast buck' but i totally disagree. i have tried the giving to a free home and it had utterly heartbreaking consequences that put animals lives at risk, they were seen to be unhappy. and a guarantee of death for some. i tried so hard to undo it but to no avail. i offered pets free to a good new home met the person(s) they all had great surroundings seemed genuinly nice and had other animals....then it all went wrong and i still get upset over what happened to these animals i can barely think about it it makes me very upset i was truly heartbroken so i'm just warning people, it's not always best to give free to good home. if people pay as much as you ask for your pet then there is a much higher chance of it actually going to a good home. you can't trust many people and some people just want freebies and have no heart to care for the animals!!! please be careful
I couldn't have said it better myself, It's that good old throw away society attitude.
When I take on pets they are here as a lifelong commitment, If I buy my child a pet, I do so on the understanding that in time she may lose interest but that pet is STILL my responsibility until the end of it's natural life.
It is also up to parents to instill responsibility into their children, You wanted the pet, you cannot walk away when you get bored!!!
The parent must always but primary caregiver to any animal but the child must do their share of the work also. That is how I was raised.
My parents must have been like yours unicorn, we always had pets in the house, dogs and cats in particular and we were taught how to be responsible for them. When i turned 13 my older brother offered to buy me a record player(which were all the rage at the time)or my very own puppy, thinking as time went by i would soon grow tired of the record player, i decided i wanted a West Highland Terrier. I never regretted that choice as Misty and i were the best of friends and remained that way until she died(of old age,i might add) [lol] Married now, i still have my fair share of pets, at the moment it's cats and i love them to bits.:lol:
porshiepoo
03-Jan-08, 16:39
i wasn't gonna reply to this thread but i feel i have to because of what has been said about giving the animal away.
you say it's wrong to sell on the animal to a 'good new home' and it's wrong to make a 'fast buck' but i totally disagree. i have tried the giving to a free home and it had utterly heartbreaking consequences that put animals lives at risk, they were seen to be unhappy. and a guarantee of death for some. i tried so hard to undo it but to no avail. i offered pets free to a good new home met the person(s) they all had great surroundings seemed genuinly nice and had other animals....then it all went wrong and i still get upset over what happened to these animals i can barely think about it it makes me very upset i was truly heartbroken so i'm just warning people, it's not always best to give free to good home. if people pay as much as you ask for your pet then there is a much higher chance of it actually going to a good home. you can't trust many people and some people just want freebies and have no heart to care for the animals!!! please be careful
Unfortunately this happens all too often but it isn't necessarily because the new owner didn't pay for the dog.
Just because a person is willing to pay heaps of money for an animal doesn't make then kind, responsible pet owners. Money may simply have no value to them therefore the animal bought would probably suffer the same fate.
I've paid ridiculous amounts for dogs but I've also paid nothing and rescued dogs, all my dogs are treated the same, one that cost me £800 is not going to get a better or worse life than that of the other.
By charging for a dog you want to rehome you're limiting potential owners.
Unfortunately these are all the pit falls of rsponsible pet ownership. Should the time arise when you find you have to rehome your old faithful then there are many things you can do to limit the possibility of it going pear shaped with the new owners, it all depends on what you actually want for that animal.
I've known people to claim rehoming is killing them but then not even care about keeping in contact with the new owner.
Any dog I've had to rehome (2) I have made agreements with the owners to stay in contact afterwards and if anything happens that changes their circumstances then I would want to have the dog back rather than them rehome it or it go to a pound.
You can also ask for a donation to be made to a local animal charity and check that it has been made before you release the dog. This is more agreeable to alot people.
well to be honest i wanted to start a thread about this kind of thing a couple of weeks back..As some know i had been rehoming young baby rabbits free to good home...I managed to do this no problem..Only to find that two of the rabbits i had loving tendered from birth to 10 weeks ended being sold to pets at home for profit....I could have done that myself but am not a believer of selling animals...I will never do this again....some people have no respect for animals..I grew up with therm and i hate not having a pet around the house..The kids love having all the rabbits cats and dog...
I and many other British Rabbit council breeders I know will no longer rehome a rabbit until it is at least 5 months old now and we also make people wait a minimum of 4 weeks before we will rehome to them and there is constant contact and updates with the perspective owner so that we can build up a trusting and open friendship and we know the owners will always be back in touch with updates. I personally stipulate that any rabbit must come back to me should there be a change of circumstances. I also absolutely refuse to rehome any rabbit to a stranger. I must have a personal recommendation before I will entertain the idea of rehoming. I rarely have any that need rehoming anyway though and normally have a waiting list so that is lucky.
connieb19
03-Jan-08, 18:08
well to be honest i wanted to start a thread about this kind of thing a couple of weeks back..As some know i had been rehoming young baby rabbits free to good home...I managed to do this no problem..Only to find that two of the rabbits i had loving tendered from birth to 10 weeks ended being sold to pets at home for profit....I could have done that myself but am not a believer of selling animals...I will never do this again....some people have no respect for animals..I grew up with therm and i hate not having a pet around the house..The kids love having all the rabbits cats and dog...I know someone this happened to before aswell Justine. My pal thought she was giving gerbils away to a good home only to find they actually went to the pet shop. The woman who came to get them seemed so genuine she has no idea this would happen.
I have to say though, when Pets At Home opened I didn't like the idea of them selling pets but I was glad to see that they don't sell to kids, they do a full checklist to make sure you have everything you need and they take your name and address, so it's not all that bad, although I do still think some people buy pets on the spur of the moment just because they see them looking all cute and fluffy.
I never started this thread to have a go at anyone whos circumstances change and they have to find a new home for their pet. It's more about the amount of people who are getting rid of pets on a regular basis. There was a post short ago where someone was wanting rid of their pets because they didnt have time for them any more, the same person had another post looking for a pet of a different kind.
I must admit that I have been very pleasantly surprised by how thorough pets at home are when you buy a pet from them and they are very knowledgable about the animals so it is a big thumbs up from me. I am also delighted by the large hutches I saw for sale outside a couple of weeks ago and very good value for money, so on the whole well pleased by them, Just out of interest though does anyone know if they advise changing the button latches to hasps for security, I did mean to ask this.
Connie if you think that it is the same folk trying to rehome pets all the time and you are the animal lover you say you are then should you not report these people.
So if I phoned the sspca or polis and could only give a username on the org do you think they would be able to do anything about it?
I dont remember having to give my name and address to caithness.org when I registered so even if the admin were legally bound to give details to an authority all they would get is an email addy and an isp.
I know someone this happened to before aswell Justine. My pal thought she was giving gerbils away to a good home only to find they actually went to the pet shop. The woman who came to get them seemed so genuine she has no idea this would happen.
I have to say though, when Pets At Home opened I didn't like the idea of them selling pets but I was glad to see that they don't sell to kids, they do a full checklist to make sure you have everything you need and they take your name and address, so it's not all that bad, although I do still think some people buy pets on the spur of the moment just because they see them looking all cute and fluffy.
I never started this thread to have a go at anyone whos circumstances change and they have to find a new home for their pet. It's more about the amount of people who are getting rid of pets on a regular basis. There was a post short ago where someone was wanting rid of their pets because they didnt have time for them any more, the same person had another post looking for a pet of a different kind.
The way it is doner in pets at home can be faulty..When i investigated it i was told that they had been brought in by someone from the western isles...I hand reared these rabbits from birth and i knew they were mine with the unusual markings on the white one....I am glad that he did go to a friendly home and so did the other..I will not be rehoming any more rabbits...I am a honest person who woud never lie to anyone..The reason i did rehome these two was because i was told that her daughters bunny had died and she was heartbroken...All lies, it was for the money..I will never shame anyone personally on the org but i hope they never contact me again....RANT OVER...
crustyroll
04-Jan-08, 12:32
Sometimes it's not always black and white with rehoming and I think everyone always start out with the best intentions in their heart.
Our first Labrador as a married couple together was a rescue SSPCA. She was pedigreed with a good set of dogs behind her, healthy and a typical bouncy juvenille dog. She was rehomed initially at 9 months of age and stayed with her new owners until she was 19 months of age. I knew the new owners and they were having a little difficulty with her as she was such a boisterous and energetic girl. They already had one dog but to be honest they had had no experience of Labradors before (everyone thinks they are so laid back but they can be hard work when young). The owners tried really hard to work with her but she still didn't settle well and was very destructive
However, we rehomed her at 19 months old and had a few mishaps with her during the first two weeks. She settled quickly and stayed with us until we had her put to sleep at 13. She will never be replaced in our hearts and was such a fantastic dog that just hadn't found the right home for HER until she came to us. Now, we would never have had all those years of love and enjoyment if she hadn't been rehomed.
I've just had to rehome an 18 month old Labrador that I bred myself and never thought that I would have to. The previous owners involved put a lot of time and effort into him and he is a wonderful boy, but one of the partners admitted that they had not taken to him as well as the other partner and could not cope with him. As you can imagine the other half was gutted but knew that the best thing for the dog was to be in an environment where he was wanted by everyone. I found this quite hard to understand as he is not an OTT dog but true to my word I took him back. He is now with a family who have another Labrador and they are absolutely delighted with him. They say he is a dream to have and can't imagine why anyone would give him up. In this case, I believe he will have a better life with his new family.
I dont believe rehoming is a bad thing, its the people involved in certain cases that can be the problem and not the animal [evil]
Is it just me who is annoyed/upset at the number of unwanted pets advertised on here recently? This is not directed at anyone in particular as there are so many of them just now. Whatever happened to the saying "a pet is for life?"
It is irresponsable for a person to get an animal and not plan how they are going to cope with it in the future. But I think we need to respect the people that advertise as not everyone looks for a new home for the animals they know that they can no longer cope with, some just leave them on street corners.
I hope all the animals on here find great new homes and that people in general have a good long think before buying a new pet. Good Luck:)
Sometimes it's not always black and white with rehoming and I think everyone always start out with the best intentions in their heart.
True, but there's always the irresponsible few to deal with. Circumstances do change though. I would never deny an elderly or sick person the joy of having their pet with them, but could I seriously suggest having godparents for pets. I am the proud godparent of a beautiful working black lab called Fleur who lives with my friend (getting on a bit) in Aberdeenshire. She has 5 dogs, all of whom have godparents, and it's all written down in the event she can no longer care for them, though obviously I hope circumstances never arise where I have to take ownership of Fleur. It's not just for the elderly - none of us know what's around the corner circumstance-wise.
pirateeye
04-Jan-08, 16:55
There was a post short ago where someone was wanting rid of their pets because they didnt have time for them any more, the same person had another post looking for a pet of a different kind.
please don't judge people
that person was me and i explained myself for that. the animals were rabbits that i wanted to rehome because i had full time responsibilties AND outside rabbits need daytime care and a lot of time dedicated to them. i was then looking for a chinchilla and i knew i could cope with a chinchilla because they are indoor creatures who can be loved cared for and fed and cleaned out in the evenings when i had the time and light to see. i do not feel guilty with this decision and no one will make me feel guilty people have to support themselves and having 15 rabbits (unexpectedly) is not appropriate when you have full time responsibilities. its easily summed up with the conclusion: i can satisfy my love for animals in the evening and care for them correctly and save not caring for my 15 rabbits correctly by not having enough time for them!
anyway i am happy to say i am not full time anymore and i have my happy loving chinchilla and 7 rabbits and many other animals all who are happy and healthy well loved and cared for. people were saying you shouldn't judge peoples reasons for not being able to care for their pets so please don't judge mine!
and to prove i love animals i tried to get my animals back when i realised they were in danger no matter what time i had i would make time for them so they could be happy til i could get a good home for them rather than them be unhappy!
pirateeye
04-Jan-08, 17:05
Unfortunately this happens all too often but it isn't necessarily because the new owner didn't pay for the dog.
Just because a person is willing to pay heaps of money for an animal doesn't make then kind, responsible pet owners. Money may simply have no value to them therefore the animal bought would probably suffer the same fate.
to most people money has value and they work hard to get it and im not saying this is to do with all cases but most cases when people are willing to pay money for something they will care for it and not waste it. and at least have it in their heart to feed the poor thing. then when people get something for free most can be like oh its free it it gets damaged at least i didnt lose anything. people know caring for animals costs a lot of money no matter what kind it is!
anyway i was just saying from my experiance that giving free animals i personally believe CAN be a mistake. and from what justine said doesn't that too make you at least think that if people pay they are more likely to care for it?
porshiepoo
04-Jan-08, 19:22
to most people money has value and they work hard to get it and im not saying this is to do with all cases but most cases when people are willing to pay money for something they will care for it and not waste it. and at least have it in their heart to feed the poor thing. then when people get something for free most can be like oh its free it it gets damaged at least i didnt lose anything. people know caring for animals costs a lot of money no matter what kind it is!
anyway i was just saying from my experiance that giving free animals i personally believe CAN be a mistake. and from what justine said doesn't that too make you at least think that if people pay they are more likely to care for it?
Absolutely not! Sorry! Ever heard the term more money than sense???
I rehomed a dog FOC many years ago to a lady that provided the best home ever to the dog, I also sold some Dane puppies many years ago and the owners ended up ruining the dog through neglect. They had the sense to contact me in the end but the damage was done. They quite happily splashed out the money for the pup but just didn't want to put the time and effort in in looking after it properly. No vaccinations (except the first), no chipping (I had to do it), No kind of training whatsoever, in fact the dog was left outside and basically neglected and abused.
The problem with buying pets sometimes is that people are more reluctant to do what's best for the animal and rehome it if needed because of the investment they laid out. They just continue to convince themselves it's OK and carry on neglecting and abusing it, until desperation kicks in. Unfortunately though, the damage is usually done by this point and can be extensive.
Paying £800 or £900 for a puppy is one thing but to try to sell the neurotic, abused, neglected animal a couple of years or so later is just ridiculous. IMO.
There are so many unwanted pets around now that the majority of people feel that asking ridiculous amounts for rehoming an unwanted pet is just not acceptable - half the time they have problems associated with their old homes, need neutering etc etc.
Dog pounds are a different thing. Usually your animal arrives neutered (or with an agreement to neuter) and the small amount they charge understandably barely covers the expenses laid out.
pirateeye
04-Jan-08, 19:40
ok yes i understand that and it makes sence. but i still feel people will look after things they pay for, i mean £20 for a small pet is nothing really and it can't be free to care for the pet so if people are stingy with money whyyy get it in the first place. or if they have so much money they should look after it better.
anyway i feel both sides stand strong but i was just warning people to beware of giving animals free because of the sad experiance i had. and also when ever you are giving to a new home, check it out first, ask lots of questions and go back to check on it or at least make contact so you can see how it is doing. unless people are nasty enough not to let you that is...but mostly they're fine. we just have to beware:)
i agree with all you've said but i also stand by my words. it's appauling the way people misstreat animals. but there are also many loving people so thats who we need:)
i would never give a child (ie under 21 )a pet for a gift they loose interest too quick a pet is part of a family and people that dont understand this need a little taster of how the poor animal feels
Paying £800 or £900 for a puppy is one thing but to try to sell the neurotic, abused, neglected animal a couple of years or so later is just ridiculous. IMO.
There are so many unwanted pets around now that the majority of people feel that asking ridiculous amounts for rehoming an unwanted pet is just not acceptable - half the time they have problems associated with their old homes, need neutering etc etc.
Porshie, haven't included your whole quote but agreed with everything you said. Am posting because we were on the other end of the stick last year. We acquired an unwanted pet - no training, no exercise, basically a delinquent, though I don't think the previous owners had any malicious intent. We paid money for her but have always regarded her as a rescue dog, and certainly not as a dog we acquired on the cheap. We knew it would be an uphill struggle and it was. But, a year or so further on, and we have ourselves a fairly obedient, good, fun little dog that we can trust (and who trusts us) and who no longer snaps, and we love her to bits. Probably the main reason we took her was because we knew she'd go to the first person to come along with a bit of cash, regardless of suitability, etc., and I'm glad we did, because her life could have easily gone into a downward spiral.
I agree, I too have been upset by all the pets being given to new homes. It must be distressing for them. But where there's a will there is a way. I have to stay home more and have to come home a lot if im working to see to my dog now that there is just the dog and me. i would never part with him, he has been a lifeline to me in recent weeks and we have grieved together. He is quite like a human and not a dog. He is great comfort to me and im lucky that my daughter takes him out for walks as I have not been able to walk far since coming out of hospital. I couldnt bear to rehome a pet, i would worry about them all the time as you hear such sad stories.
Powered by vBulletin® Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.