why is it that people on here think that the only way you can own a dog is if you treat it like a king?

Question

i love all my dogs and they are fixed and well cared for i do spoil my dogs but i also understand sometimes people dont have a fortune to spend on a dog.. and that doesnt mean that they shouldnt have one. i get tired of people putting others down for not fixing there dog or running them to the vet as soon as there nose starts to run. 2 of my dogs were dogs that i saved from horrible conditions one of them didnt even know how to drink from a bowl he thought he had to eat snow. anyway when i took him i knew i could give him a warm home and food water and love. but i also knew i couldnt afford a vet bill at that time. according to some of you i shouldnt have taken him because i couldnt afford it.. well thats wrong i know alot of seniors who have dogs that mean everything to them but they are on fixed income and cant afford to fix there dog ect that doesnt mean they dont love or care for them and it doesnt mean that they shouldn have a dog. more in details

and all you people who swear that a vet will take payments? where are these vets cause i called every vet in my town and the 3 near me and none of them will take payments... i dont want to see any animal mistreated either and i feel you should take care of them if you have them but i also dont think that anyone has the rite to come on here and condem someone just because they cant afford a vet .

just read some of the answers i got here ..i have been called a low life and get this i said that i do take my dogs to be fixed ect. and if one of my dogs needed emergency help i would go and have went.. and no its not that someone answered one of my questions with something i didnt like its the many like mine here that gets the nasty responses that isnt needed

louis l , bubbles, dobie gang,k l. ect its you who i am talking about you jump on people and assume you know it all but you dont. you tell me im not a good mom or pet owner or even a good person but you dont know me because if you did you would know your wrong way wrong i would die for my kids and i take care of all my pets and even a few that are not mine i have saved more dogs and found good homes for more dogs then you probably ever could or would.. but no i dont run my dog to the vet for every single thing. when my dog broke his leg on a sat i drove 68 miles and paid way more then needed to have him taken care of instead of waiting til mon. i have 4 dogs who are all fixed and up to date on shots. 2 of them sleep in beds with family members at night and they all got toys under the tree from santa so for thoes who came on here to bash me like you do all the other poor people who come on here asking for a kind ear or a little advice.. what a great job you are doing

Answer 1

There is help. There are too many places for low income and seniors to go to get help for their pets. If you find one ask the local rescue or shelter for help. I often offer people all the vetting we do for our adoptable animals for the same adoption fee. I take the dog get everything done and they adopt it through us. Yes they still sign our contract and the pet is altered and clean bill of health from a vet.

I am adamant about shots. You should not bring a pet into your house without shots or being checked out. I see a different dog all the time and I still can not consider my self a professional as to what it may have or carry. The beginning of ringworm can look like a flea bite the beginning of Parvo can be the same signs as a puppy in a new environement. There are too many variables for people that actually do know something. Let alone any others.

Those on fixed incomes really shouldn't have an excuse there are excessive programs for them through the spca and humane society and thereis UCAN that will alter for anyone for $5.00 Theyare in larger areas .If you care about the pet you will get it altered. I know its hard for people that have never seen a breeders dog give birth and come close to death from a uterus that weighed more than the litter of puppies.

I in no way believe that just becuase someone can't afford a pet they shouldn't have it. But they should be able to maintain the basics such as food and yearly vaccines. I have often let dogs go for less than the adoption fee to people simply because it was the best home for a troubled pet. I have two difficult ones now and I know there is someone out there for them. Money is not the main objective it is a loving caring home but everyone should make sure any pet they pick up take from or what ever gets the initial vetting taken care of.

Answer 2

OK, so you are an exception to the rule.

As a pet groomer I have had many dogs brought to me and I know that the animal is not being treated as it should.

Let me give you a couple of examples. An older Greek man had been bring his little spitz to groom every month. He was a good ole guy and treated his dog like a friend. One day when he brought in his dog it was coughing. I ask him about the cough, because of the other dogs I had in that day, he said the dog had started coughing the day before. Rather than send him away I took the dog in to groom but his coughing kept getting worse. So I called the man and told him I was taking him to my vet, which turned out to be his vet too.

Well the Vet didn't know what was wrong and sat down with a book. We had done Xrays, blood tests and nothing could be found. In the mean time the dog got very lathargic. He had a little aggression problem and the vet alway taped his mouth. I took off the tape and the coughing got worse, The own was called and when he arrivied I left cause I had other dogs at home to groom.

About an hour and half latter the Vet called to let me know the dog had died and that it was some mysterious thing that was rare and that it was the first time she'd ever seen it.

A couple brough in a huge Smoyed, they have a denser coat than a chow. They wanted it stripped, shaved down short. It was a difficult job cause of the type of coat but I was doing good. When I got to the butt and started shaving towards his butt under his tail, all of a sudden something broke loose and a mass of Maggots come pouring out. There must have been two or three cups of maggots. I called the owner and ask if they could come back so that I could show them why their bill was going to be more than I first quoted.

Both of these dogs belong to what I would consider good homes with caring owners.

I am one of those people who feel that certain people have no business owning pets.

Please, excuse any misspelled words, spell checker is not working now.

Answer 3

No vet will tell you they take payments before they know you and your dog.But if you make regular trips in for the small stuff like weighing the dog,heartwormer and flea drops then when something major pops up and you're honest with them about lacking funds they will work with you.
I've been in your shoes and could'nt afford the vet bills so had to let spaying/neutering go but I made certain the dogs were'nt allowed to breed.
You don't have to spend a fortune to own a dog.
But it's just like having a child.It has needs that must be provided for and vet care is as necessary as Dr.visits for the kids and you don't take them in every time they have a runny nose either.It's not wrong to ask others for advice when you're not sure.But it's wrong to go party in a bar with your friends when the dog is in obvious need of medical attention.Or go buy a bag of weed or lottery tickets or get your hair or nails done and buy yourself new clothes which is why alot of selfish dimwitted people cannot afford to take the dog to the vet and then whine about not being able to afford a vet.
We've all seen it time and time again and those people are giving the ones who truly need a little help over a hump a rough way to go from the rest of us and I'm sure you can understand that.If not I don't know what to tell you.But like it or not kids and all animals when you acquire them need a whole lot more than love and a warm place to sleep with plenty of food.Those are just the basics.There are other needs that must be considered and if you know beforehand that you cannot meet those needs then it's unfair to the animal to keep it.

Answer 4

If by saying "fix" you mean spay or neuter: that is a necessary expense one SHOULD be able to handle if owning a pet. There are no excuses, between the fact that most towns have affordable spay & neuter clinics, or the shelters will give a voucher. Having a litter & raising it to an age where they can be re-homed costs MORE than having a pet spayed, so that makes no sense as an argument, either. Beyond that, yes: as long as pet has ADEQUATE care: decent food (not everyone can afford premium, Purina Dog Chow is an ok food) water, shelter, and is treated well, that is fine. But when someone gets a dog with a coat that needs grooming or trimming (like a Poodle or Cocker Spaniel or mix with these type of breeds in them) then can not afford to have that done & lets them get matted, that is neglect. So someone without much money should chose their pet wisely, and still spay or neuter & budget in (at minimum) vaccines. After all, owning a pet is a CHOICE.

Answer 5

Yes, I agree also. I hate to repetitively see answers where it says over and over to take your dog to training for bad behavior. Well, I knew that.... I asked here to see if there are any ways to remedy this without training because if I had the money I would have just enrolled them, not asked for others ideas on the matter. Does this make me a bad owner? Does that make *insert name* a bad owner for buying Purina instead of the $40 bags of Royal Canine?

The same thing happens with other questions too, that one is just an example. I do think that if your dog is really really sick the vet is about the only answer, and no allot of them will NOT take payments. That is actually quite depressing in its own way. If you weren't worried about your animal though, why would you come here to ask for opinions. I personally take this section of Q&A seriously, and try to give answers that may help. There is no need to bash people for not being rich....

I also don't think the asker meant never to take your pet to the vet, and certainly to find a way in an emergency. The way I read it is if your dog is mildly sick and it could be something like a change in his food, there is no need to run to the vet and be out $70 bucks for the vet to say the same thing you can read here....

Answer 6

Everything is relative. You are a very good person saving those dogs and of course you provide for them better circumstances than the ones they had. But some people go and buy puppies irresponsibly, without having thought of the expenses, time that must be spent with the dog, finding what to do with them on the holidays, etc, and then they throw them away or they give them the bad living conditions you then have to save them from. So the bottom line is to take a dog only when you can give better conditions than he would otherwise have.
Plus, I am sure if one of your dogs had a serious problem, you would probably cut down on your own food or borrow to take it to a vet. Some people just don't do that, well it's wrong, when an animal really needs care you are responsible to give it to him. But stupid expenses like little clothes or fancy toys or special grooming are of course extravagant.

Answer 7

What if you had a baby and couldn't afford to take it to the doctor then it got sick and it died, what do you think would happen.
That's right, you'd go to jail. The same goes for animals. This is law. You MUST provide your animal adequate care, including veterinarian care. The reason this law exists it to try and keep down the amount of animal neglect and abuse cases around the country. If a social worker walked into a home where the Mother loved her children very much, just couldn't provide them with adequate food and healthcare, you'd want those kids put into a foster home, wouldn't you? Love isn't enough.

In regards to the comment about standing up for people that don't sterilize their animals: this is the reason why there are so many unwanted animals. Sterilization is key.

Hey, if you think it's ok to own an animal just because you want to, that's own opinion. Me, I'd rather the owner be a good caregiver.

Answer 8

Getting your pet medical treatment and their shots that are required by law ( like Rabies vaccines ) doesn't mean you are treating them like a king. Not taking them to a vet in a medical emergency can bring charges against someone who owns a pet and does not seek help when the pet needs it. I also think it is the owners own option to make about getting their dog fixed. Apparently you asked a question in here and got some answers that you did not like. Which has caused the ranting above. Have a nice day.

Answer 9

I gave in and bought a cook book for dog treats. I'd say it's the best $12 spent in a LONG time! It's called MacPherson's K-9 Cookbook and there is yet to be a treat in it that my dogs haven't devoured! The recipes are all natural and easy on the wallet! I love the flea fighting and the plaque fighting recipes the most.

Answer 10

Dogs need care - Love is one type of care, a warm house is another, taking the dog to the vet to make sure it's properly vaccinated and nuetered or spayed is another, but a type that costs money.

A lot of people get this idea "I want a dog" and go out and get one, having NO idea what to do or how to treat it once they get it home.

It's the naive ones that get condemed here; the ones that ask really stupid questions (And I don't mean "How do I potty train my puppy"). I'm talking about ones with obvious heath problems that need treatment by a vet (Like "My dog is pooping blood, what do I do?").