News-Record.com

Ms. Beasley has touched upon an issue that hits a raw nerve with me, and I can certainly sympathize with her concerns regarding irresponsible pet owners.

For many years I was personally involved in the rescue, physical rehabilitation, socialization and training of abandoned house pets, primarily dogs, but including cats as well.

My first involvement was at the behest of a friend of mine who was a vet tech and worked for a local veterinarian, she knew that I'd had some success training my own little pound puppy and had asked me to take in a dog that had been abandoned at the clinic where she worked.

He was a holy terror, a physically beautiful dog whom, although tolerant of people, had a nasty attitude about anything else that moved. What my friend asked of me was only to provide him with some rudimentary house and leash training so as to make it easier for her to place him in a good home.

The history of his accomplishments would be far too long to mention here, but I can summarize it all by pointing out that he stayed with me the rest of his life and became a much better example of a dog than I will ever be of a human.

Years later the girl who'd asked me to take him in was no longer a technician but was managing another animal hospital. She'd also become my wife.

We accumulated a housefull of blind cats, lame dogs and even what I considered to be one very smart rabbit. Why did I think he was smart?

He managed to become best friends with one of my male Great Pyrenees, they not only shared a water dish but could often be found taking naps together.

Pyr's being the protective breed that they are, NOTHING in my household ever chased that rabbit.

But I digress.

The bottom line is that I have quite a bit of first hand knowledge in the areas of companion animal overpopulation, abandonment of animals with health or behavioral issues, and irresponsible pet ownership in general.

There are many individual things within that framework that irk me to the soul, but the one which irritates me the most is the pattern of people bringing home an adorable pup only to determine that it is too much to handle when it reaches adulthood and the "cuteness" has worn off.

Take it from someone who has lot track of how many puppies he's housebroken and obedience trained - puppies may be cute, but in reality they should only be looked at as something to be endured in order to have a dog.

And that's a fact.

That should have read "lost track of how many puppies".

Chalk another one up for "dummy dad."

ONE WORD CURE: Euthanasia
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Suzie,
Could you please put your address on your letter next time? It would help to know where to dump my unwanted animals.
Oh, and who gave you that shirt with a target on it anyway?

Welcome to the party, my brothers and sisters. Try living on a farm and having word get out that you "work at a vet."

I've had everything from the run of the mill homeless domestic critters to injured wildlife brought to me for help. BUT it is the countless helpless ones who are abandoned during the night at the top of the drive or left in boxes just inside the barn door when no one is home during the day that just chaps my hide. If you aren't going to be responsible and get your pet spayed/neutered, grow a pair and take the walk of shame to the shelter at least!!

I ran a non profit breed specific rescue for several years until my now ex husband put the ix-nay on the thousands I was spending. This is a tough topic but people just need to take some personal responsibility. While I did enjoy the double yolked eggs from the small flock of hens someone dropped off at the farm one Sunday morning during church, we weren't set up to house chickens and they had to go. To whomever you are, where ever you are, your chickens went to another home in the country where they refused to go in the hen house at night and the foxes got them one by one. But I guess that's okay since you didn't have to deal with it.

Thanks for the vent.

Yes, DD, isn't it a shame that euthanasia isn't employed more often across the board regardless of species. The writer makes a very valid point: her compassionate nature has been taken advantage of b/c ppl refuse to be responsible. Get over yourself.

DementedDeacon--

You're not, by chance, looking for a place to dump that wild boar, are you? You know, the one you keep mounted in the attic? You might want to keep it - so frustration doesn't set in. ;)

Frustration is a way of life for the world traveler.

More ignorance from the Ditto Dummy. Evidently another letter he didn't read or didn't comprehend. Just his normal self, making assumptions and you know what that brings. But then what's new about that with the Ditto Dummy. Keep it up ditto dummy.