My dog is leaving!

[cutepony]

My dad just told me that my dog is leaving!
We are getting a new one and Max is going to a lovely place where they can live in their old age. At least I might be able to visit him, but still.. We've had him fo 8yrs! Has anyone else been through this or is going through something simalar?

[greenpen]

Sorry to ask but why is he going?

[Chilly Girl]

If you are just going to get another pup to eventually throw away, I see no point in getting rid of your dog now. =\

[Kholran]

... That's awful. Dealing with aging is part of having a pet. When our loved human relatives get old, we can't just dispose of them. That's a horrid thing to do to a companion that's been part of a family for 8 years. Working in a shelter, I see a lot of it, and every single time I just want to beat the person willing to give up an animal simply because 'it's too old'. If pets are that disposable to your family, I agree with Chilly. You shouldn't get another one.

This is posted at our Admissions desk:

I adopted your pet today…
The one you left at the pound;
The one you had for ten years
And no longer wanted around.
I adopted your pet today…
Did you know that he’s lost weight?
Did you know he’s scared and depressed
And seems to have lost all faith?
I adopted your pet today…
He had fleas and a little cold;
Guess you don’t care what shape he’s in
— You abandoned him I am told.
I adopted your pet today…
Were you having a baby or moving away?
Did you suddenly develop allergies,
Or was there NO reason he couldn’t stay?
I adopted your pet today…
He doesn’t play or even eat much;
I guess he’s very sad inside and
It’ll take time for him to trust.
I adopted your pet today…
And here he is going to stay;
He’s found his FOREVER home
And a warm bed in which to lay.
I adopted your pet today…
And shall give him all that he will need
— Patience, love, and security,
So he can forget your selfish deed.

Author Unknown

[Tanitsja]

why not have both, keep the old and get a puppy, then they have someone to play with...and actualy training the puppy should go a lot easier as it has a rollemodel to look to...seeing an older dog react in a specific way makes it even more easy for a pup to understand whats expected

a lot of things we dont need to spesificaly train our new dogs on cause they pick them naturaly up from our elder dogs

[mash]

I cannot believe how anyone could do that!!! That poor dog has had a (hopefully) loving family who then just deserts him in his time of need for a younger modle!!

I understand cutepony that it's your parents and not you who has decided to do this and that we shouldn't all be laying the blame onto you, but can't you talk to your parents and explain how morally wrong that is?

Myself like Kholran work at a animal sanctuary and face this kind of thing everyday. Once the owners have dropped the dog/cat or whatever off, they seem to forget about them.

I'm sure he's going to a nice home, BUT, it's not HIS home is it? YOU are his family.

How would you feel if your parents just decided to give YOU to another family for no reason? I know I'm placing human emotions onto a dog but he's still going to be confused and scared. And then if you DO go and visit him he's just gonna think you're coming to take him back home.

I will shut up now, because if I carry on I may get banned.....

[cutepony]

I know it might seem like that, but Max has artritis, is very stiff and is finding it hard to move around. There was the option of an op but it costed £2000 and my family just does not have that kind of money. The op whould also be forine, so add on another £100 for transport. The place where he is going is out way in the countryside and we are not selling him for money we are donating him as they can afford the op and its only fair to him that he gets it. At least then he can be more comfotable in his old age. Don't get me wrong, I love him very much and want him to be happy, we had him for 8yrs and you cant abanden your best friend. The place where he is going is very open and they do not adopt, they are realy kind to the dogs there and they allow the old owners to visit, and my parents have promised I can see him once a month, but only that as its very far away.
so you see, I realy do love him and dont want him to go, but its only fair that he should.
We are also adopting a dog from an animal rescue centre instead as from a breeder, so we realy are trying to help. the entire family is very upset at him leaving, but we know his welfare is more important.

[mash]

well maybe if you cannot afford vet fees you should not be having a dog at all? Unfortunatly vets fees occur no matter what and it is part and parcel of owning a animal.

[American]

[cutepony]

I know that, he gets all the vacines and shots and is regularly checked up by the vet. Unfortunetly, my dad recently lost his job (has anyone noticed how many factorys are closing?) and as we live in quite a remote area the factory was pretty much all we had. I dont like to say this but we have been struggling every since and looked at some pounds for max to go to, but after a week or so they would be put down, and we were not having any of that. so you see we had his best interests at heart, after dad lost his job we had to sell quite a few thing, even now we are having to sell the labtop, we will still have the computer, but you see we simply can not afford him any more. My dad has got a new job now, and we will be able to care for the new puppy and have money for shots and that, but £2000? Not now, but we are not getting the puppy for 6 months or so, so that we can get back some savings and make sure that we have enough money to care for him. But it wouldn't be fair to make max wait that long.
I hope ye see we DO love him....
cutepony

[Cecelia]

I'm so sorry to hear that cutepony. I hope that Max really will be more comfortable there and that your family can eventually afford the care for the new puppy.Max will never forget you and I hope you won't ever forget him

[Kholran]

[cutepony]

Max had been suffering from artrites ever since he was 1yr old, and this was part of the reson we adopted him, to give him a second chance. We have tried lot of non surgecul methods, but they only ever lasted 6 months at the most.
I know about the finance, but the factory was quite big and covered car and pet finance too, and there was no warning that it was shuting, we had put in a claim to pay for the surgery, there never responded and a week later it shut down. You see it all happened so quikly and there realy was not any time to react. We will have new pet finance in the next 6 months when we get the puppy (which we will adopt from the pound), and with any bit of luck the finince wont shut down. It was all very bad luck it shut down when we needed it most.

[mash]

I'm sorry cutepony, but I don't think any amount of explaining or trying to make this sound better is going to work.

Kholran is completely right. Surgery is the LAST resort. And if he's suffered fom this right from a early age, why didn't you get something done when he was younger and you had the finances?

Or is it that basically he's become old and needs a lot of TLC and you can't be bothered anymore? Will you do the same with the next one once it reaches a certain age and needs medical attention?

Will you explain to the animal rescue what you did with your last dog? Because I'll tell you something if I knew you'd done that I would NOT let you have a dog from my sanctuary.

Maybe the dog WILL be better off with someone else, because it's obvious that you can't care THAT much for him.

My cat had to have surgery a few years ago, she had a tumor in her intestines. It cost me a arm and a leg to pay for her. Unfortunatly she got so ill that it was kinder to put her to sleep, however IF the vet had told me that there would be a chance (even a small one) that another op would have cured her, I would have begged, borrowed or stole the money if it meant that my baby would have survived.

Remember that old saying?..

"A pet is for LIFE....."

[cutepony]

plz people i do love him
mash, how can you say that, I raely am crying to hear people think im that mean and cruel.
Ye have to see that we are doing whats best for him, all what happened to him prob wont happen to the next puppy, artrites maybe, but all that happened with my dads joba and that, no.
And I'm only young too. I know most of you are about 20 (from seeing ye say stuff like 'Im doing my 4th year exams now' or 'I got my final collage results!' but i'm only 13 and dont have the power of the final say in the dogs welfare. I can walk him and compete him groom him and all that stuff as much as I like, but the parents have the final say.
Plz see I do love him so very much.