Is this animal cruelty??

Question

Having a pet (such as a dog) and leaving it home alone (in a cage or outside-if its nice out) while you are at work?
My bf thinks its cruel, if you have an animal it should get all your time and devotion.
What are your thoughts on this?

Answer 1

Outside is fine as long as it is safe from other animals, weather (such as extreme hot or cold), has fresh water available and is unable to roam away. Also my dog was crate trained as a small puppy (we have since taken it down because of space) but he grew to like his cage and considered it his home he would often go lay in it when tired or scared. As long as you spend enough time with your pet these are both sufficient when leaving.

Answer 2

It all completely depends on the type ofdog, size, and just how long you are gone. Most adult dogs can stay in a cage alone for about 4 hours, as long as they have food and water, even longer if they canhave a backyard or a room to roam in. If it is a puppy you need to at least potty it every 2 or so hours. If your pet is destructive, and chews things up, this is an issue, and it is best to leave them with a friend. A normal, medium to small adult dog should be fine though. Just ake sure that when you come home, you spend lots of time and attention on them. it is important for them o go on walks, and go out meeting other dogs and people. If you have any further questions, just e-mail me! Good luck! .

Answer 3

That doesn't sound rational. So he's saying that if you have a pet then you need to stay home with it to care for it or cut your work hours? Pardon me but... idiot!

It's not a human child! Whose needs are completely different from a dog's. Ugh.

Rule of thumb: puppies can be crated for 4 hours. Adult dogs for 6 - easy. Crates are NOT cruel. The are not the dog equivalent to a prison, they are the equivalent to a HOME. Would you deny your dog that?

You do need to be responsible and let your dog out. Hire a dog walker or neighborhood kid to come over and play with your dog if you are working too long.

Sound like you have a dog run (outdoor kennel) or your dog has free reign of the house? He'll be absolutely fine.

Take your dog to obedience classes to compensate for the time you're not training him during the rest of the week. This will be just as much for you as for your dog, maybe more. You'll learn how to be a good owner/trainer and how to maximize the time you have with your dog.

Tell your boyfriend he needs to get an educatin, a job, marry you and THEN he can help you raise some real children. LOL :)

Here's a great book: "BEFORE You Get a Puppy" by Dr. Ian Dunbar. It will help you with any problems you may come across with leaving your dog at home. You can down download it for FREE from the internet (see link below).

Answer 4

Satu, you may be an animal lover, but you sure have no understanding of what it takes to care for a pet properly !! My dog lives and stays in her own room while I am away at work, but I go home every day for lunch and let her out, and then we eat lunch together, so she's happy. She gets lots of time outside when I am home in the evenings- and she can run and play as much as she wants to.
There are other dogs on our farm which stay outside all day on a chain in the shade, with plenty of water and shelter nearby. That is not cruel to them- what would be more cruel is confining them in a crate inside the house and leaving them alone to lie in their own filth all day. At least this way, they can relieve themselves outside, and it doesn't make a mess. To the asker: your bf may think that leaving an animal home alone is cruel, but it's obvious to me that he has never owned or tried to take care of an animal for very long. Sometimes, it's just NOT practical to try to spend all your time with your dog. People have to work and earn a living, at least most of us do. That doesn't mean we are cruel- it just means that we need to place priority on keeping a roof overhead and food on the table. Money for bills doesn't grow on trees. If a dog is kept where it has shelter and plenty of water, there is nothing wrong with that. Our horses live outside on a 24/7 basis- they only come in to eat and to work, but that doesn't mean we are cruel or that they don't get good care. As long as they have water, salt, and shelter, and access to some good hay, they do just fine. Leaving an animal alone during the day is not cruel. Enough said.

Answer 5

your boyfriend has a point however not valid. I have a dog and have to leave it home while I am at work like millions of people do. Are we all cruel? NO ! He just doesn't want you to get a dog and perhaps you shouldn't get one with this boyfriend because he is not an animal person. He might be cruel to a dog. wait until you break up with this schmuck and get one on your own terms if you still feel the need for a dog.

Answer 6

It's definitely animal cruelty. If someone can't take care of an animal, then they should give it to a better home. And, they should have no business in getting an animal in the first place. My stepsister's family (at her mom's house) has a mixed breed dog and it's constantly left outside- through everything. Where I'm living, it can get up to 115° in the summer, and they don't even give the poor thing fresh water. And it can get 15° below zero in the winter and they don't even give it blankets. My mom and I are surprised it's still alive. They always "forget" to feed it, and they tied it to a tree with an 8' long chain and it can't even reach its doghouse. I feel so bad for this poor dog, but my mom won't let me call the humane society on them. However, it IS ok to leave your dog in a cage for their size if you leave the house, as long as the cage and the dog are kept inside of the house. I have a beagle, and I HUGE yard. She is mainly an outside dog, but she has an invisible fence so she can run around, bunches of shade trees, and a dog house, and we give her ice water everyday. My step-dad doesn't want any dogs in the house, but Katie (my beagle) comes inside if its to hot or cold- she always visits us, and my step-dad doesn't mind. I also have a cat and she lives inside, but she loves it outside. We live in the country so that’s why we have a bigger yard. Anyway, your dog should always be in a safe environment. And, if you ever have questions or concerns- talk to a veterinarian.

Answer 7

As long as you give the animal plenty of attention when you get home, crating is not cruel, either legally or morally. It's actually safer for the animal to be contained while you're not there to supervise it, and most vets will recommend crate training for all new puppies.

However, leaving the dog outside isn't quite so humane. There are a lot of problems that can occur from leaving a dog outside while no one is home to supervise. He can get loose, be attacked by another animal, overheat, which can lead to numerous other health threats, pick up fleas and ticks, worms, etc. If you absolutely must leave him outside for any amount of time, make sure he is well fenced, with a large area of shade, food, several large containers of water withing his reach (dogs tend to knock water bowls over) shelter in case it rains (an appropriately sized dog house), something to lay on (old blankets, towels, even a pile of hay will work) and make sure without a doubt that all his shots are up to date, including distemper and rabies, just in case.

I hope this helps.

Answer 8

It depends on the pet.. We have a crate trained dog and she goes in there when we are asleep or not home.. She perfectly fine and the house is fine if we are gone for any length of time.. I would like to leave her out but, I don't want her on my furniture or in the garbage or possibly pooping/peeing in the house.. Sometimes weather permitting we leave her outside w/ fresh water and she has a dog house.. She rarely uses... If it's too hot she's in her kennel when we are not home.. However, I'm generally home during the day with the kids and I work at night my husband is here.. So, she gets a lot of attention.. It just depends on the dog.. I wouldn't worry about it if you come home on your lunch..Good luck

Answer 9

Putting a dog in a small cage while you're at work isn't really the greatest thing do to for it. If you've got a fenced in yard and the dog has access to shade and clean water there's nothing wrong in that. Leaving a dog inside the house alone could be asking for problems, when dogs get bored or frustrated they tend to chew things up.

Answer 10

I think it is cruel to leave a animal in a cage. Outside would be different if the wheather is nice. Just be sure to walk your dog and play with ii every day.