Dogs

[Mizu]

*This topic is absolutely not meant to offend anyone and I apologize ahead of time if it does. If you think there's someone else who is capable of providing a happier life for your pet then it only makes sense to allow them.*


So, a close friend of mine texted me today and asked if I wanted another dog because his friend could "no longer keep" his 2-year-old hound. I never asked for specifics so I have no idea why but I think it's a housing thing.

Anyway, it really got me thinking. I have two dogs who are legitimately my reason for living. They make me happy in a way I never thought I could be. 

I'm a student in Toronto so finding a decently priced place to live is tough enough. Throw in two dogs in a city that seems to hate animals and I'm at a total loss. School is important, obviously, but I can't imagine ever abandoning my dogs. I can't imagine my life without them. 

But I also can't imagine their life without me. I've been their momma for a little over two years now and I can say I am their world. It has been just the three of us for that whole time which I guess might impact it. I've had my female her whole life - I was there right from the second she was born (my mom was a breeder for a short time). I snuggled her a lot and she may have become more attached to me then her real mom. XD My male I got when he was 5 weeks old. The fact that I'm basically the only person they've ever known might also be noteworthy. 

I'll admit that they are pretty spoiled and I do baby them but they were also really easy to train. My male is the biggest momma's boy in the world and my female has a heart attack if she can't see me (although when I leave for school or shopping and I say, "Bye, love you" she doesn't even look at me and she never cares when I'm actually gone. XD)

Dogs are very complex pack animals. We tailored them specifically as companions and to serve us. I feel like abandoning a dog like that would be a lot like abandoning a child. 

I hear a lot of people, even dog owners, say things like, "Meh, it's just a dog" like they have no feelings and dropping them off in the middle of nowhere isn't a huge deal. "Put them on Kijiji for free, someone'll take 'em" and, "Doesn't matter to me what they do with 'em, ain't my dog no more". I could never understand these people and I won't lie - they are the biggest dirtbags in my eyes. 

That being said I do understand that there are people who sometimes get pets and then do have to re-home them for the dog's sake. I knew a lady who bought a german shepherd/collie mix and she was the greatest dog for about a year and then she started trying to eat one of her smaller dogs. She attacked the smaller dog once and almost killed her and the lady re-homed her.

What I don't get is how people can pay potentially a lot of money to become responsible for another life just to throw it away like it's no big deal as soon as they get bored or face any sort of challenge. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PKn0hL9aBs

Because this topic needs a video. Lol

Discuss.

[Seeris]

Coming from a home filled with animal lovers like myself, I can relate to 
where you're coming from. I find it hard to stay away from most animals,
particularly the cats and dogs at my house. It was also hard enough to put
them down when someone purposely poisoned your labradors. It isn't easy
for me and it actually does my heart some good to read about your stance
as a fellow animal lover! Honestly, our family never sold any of our litters to
anyone since it's considered taboo due to our traditional roots and when we
must reduce the amount of animals living with us, we basically give them to close
friends and/or family who we trust will take very good care of them and not neglect
their well-being. I can't despise people who treat their pets (not just pets, they're family) like
afterthoughts or possessions because that's just humans for you, but I cannot forgive
them for such treatment. All animal companions are the extension to our hearts and soul,
a connection that possibly predates written history.

Honestly, I think I've confused your love of dogs for the love of all animals in general. lol
Sorry!

[WyvernSlayer]

I haven't clicked on your video link yet, but I swear to god if it's one of those Sarah McLaughlan ASPCA vids, I'm going to hurt you, Mizu.

This is actually a pretty powerful subject for me, and I didn't think it would be. Growing up, I always had a dog. For almost 15 years, I had a shepherd-lab mix who was just the sweetest thing. She would always play with us when we were little by knocking us down and stealing our socks. Heh... my little brother would always try to grab onto his ankles to keep his socks on, and she would just drag him around the kitchen floor like a backwards dog sled. I remember when we finally had to put her down... that was the first time I had ever seen my dad cry.

Now that I'm living on my own, I've always wanted to visit the shelter near me and adopt a dog, just as my family had always done. But I just can't justify it right now. Not because of cost, but because I'm just not home enough, and it wouldn't be fair to the dog to keep them home alone all day. You nailed it, Mizu - dogs are so much like children to us, that it would (should) feel very wrong to abandon them.


Sigh... now I miss my puppies. I hope they're having a great time chasing rabbits in the great dog park in the sky.

[Mizu]

I'm glad there are others who feel as strongly as I do. Everyone always tells me I love my dogs too much and that I'm nuts for viewing them as family.

I just found out today that the girl my friend was talking about knew she was moving into an apartment that didn't allow dogs and that she had plenty of time to re-home the dog. Instead she decided to wait until the day she moved, asked a few people she knew if they'd take the foxhound and then after they said no she gave the dog to my friend and said, "Take it to the Humane Society or I'm leaving it outside alone".

We're in Ontario, Canada. It's snowing right now and she knew the dog wouldn't survive the week outside alone but she was honestly going to abandon it. I'm going to be perfectly honest - I never thought that actually happened. I thought it was a movie and sad story thing. This gorgeous female foxhound she raised up from a pup and spent two years of her life with was like trash to her. I hate to imagine how that dog was living and how it feels now that it's locked up at the Humane Society.

I was beyond furious when I found out. I told him that I said I couldn't keep the dog because I already have two. If he'd told me it was a last minute attempt to keep her from a shelter instead of me assuming he was just helping a friend find a good home I would have taken her and re-homed her myself.

I don't even have words for people like that. How do you abandon another living creature like that? Especially one who's loved you unconditionally and who's been so close to you... ?

EDIT: I liked that video. Lol

[WyvernSlayer]

Mizu I wanna see pictures of your dogs. We need to cheer up this thread.

[Mizu]

Sorry for the size and poor quality; I don't have the USB with all of my photos on it so this is it. Lol The tricolour is Maximus Prime and the colour headed white sable merle is Lily. They're spoiled purebred shelties.~ <3

[WyvernSlayer]

Yay puppies!

*melts*

They look so happy.  They must have a great mom.  

Here's a couple of the bestest bud I ever had.  His name was Shrek, and he was awesome:

[Mizu]

Awwwwww... Dogs are the best. Whenever I cry my dogs bring me their toys and eat my tears. Rofl I feel like I'll never want another one after them but at the same time I know I can't live without a dog.

[johhnnym]

I agree with every word. I don't get it... But let's say it: giving the dog to another family is bad, but people do more terrible things, like leaving the dog in the middle of the forest... Dog will never do such thing to people, dog won't ever abandon us...