TheOtherMe
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Post by TheOtherMe on Sept 30, 2019 11:53:11 GMT -5
I was very grateful for that option. The vet did tell me that he did well with the surgery and was adopted in to a loving home.
All of my other cats lived out their natural lives until the vet and I determined it was time to let them go. I also don't believe in letting them suffer because of the cost of euthanasia.
My 2nd cat had Felv at about a year old. By the time I could get her to a vet (she hid the symptoms too well), the vet said she wouldn't live until morning. I had her euthanized because I didn't want her to suffer any more than she was already suffering.
I'm also not starting a GoFundMe to pay for vet bills. I see a lot of that these days. I love my fur children but if I'm going to donate to medical expenses, it's going to be for humans.
It feels like I am being judged.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 30, 2019 14:53:27 GMT -5
I'm not judging you, TheOtherMe. I have already said that I will not fight cancer if my dog gets it, which is likely. Cocker spaniels are prone to growths, and we've had several removed over the years.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 30, 2019 16:41:49 GMT -5
I'll just bow out of this conversation.
My dog will get the treatment I can afford and if he continues to suffer and doesn't have a decent quality of life I will put him down myself if I have to.
If only "wealthy" people who can afford surgery for dogs had them, then millions more dogs would be killed each year.
My dog is 8 years old. He's not a puppy and "giving" him to someone else isn't an option. He would be miserable because he's very bonded to me.
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Opti
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Post by Opti on Sept 30, 2019 16:42:55 GMT -5
You can only do what you can. Try not to let it get you down.
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andi9899
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Post by andi9899 on Sept 30, 2019 17:00:57 GMT -5
I find taking a dog in the woods and shooting it instead of at least exploring the option of relinquishing it in exchange for the treatment to be rather disturbing and selfish.
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raeoflyte
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Post by raeoflyte on Sept 30, 2019 17:21:03 GMT -5
I'll just bow out of this conversation. My dog will get the treatment I can afford and if he continues to suffer and doesn't have a decent quality of life I will put him down myself if I have to. If only "wealthy" people who can afford surgery for dogs had them, then millions more dogs would be killed each year. My dog is 8 years old. He's not a puppy and "giving" him to someone else isn't an option. He would be miserable because he's very bonded to me. I'm sorry that is how my posts came across. That wasn't my intent. I was typing out loud about why vets offer an owner relinquish program instead of waiving fees. Obviously I should have dropped it.
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raeoflyte
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Post by raeoflyte on Sept 30, 2019 17:24:29 GMT -5
I find taking a dog in the woods and shooting it instead of at least exploring the option of relinquishing it in exchange for the treatment to be rather disturbing and selfish. It's not that likely she can find a vet that will do it, and even if she does it will involve more appointments (office visit fee regardless of treatment or outcome) and travel both of which are going to be highly difficult given the situation. You're not going to find a vet that will offer that over the phone. The idea that everyone should do everything they can based on what we can do is the vet's attitude she already saw and is putting the dog in more pain than it needs to be. Dh's job offered that option pretty regularly when he started there, but I know they really pulled back on it a few years ago and may have completely discontinued it.
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souldoubt
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Post by souldoubt on Sept 30, 2019 18:08:47 GMT -5
We had a dog we got from friends when I was in middle school. The friends got him because they thought their dog was lonely but that wasn't the case and he wasn't a good fit. We think he was abused when he was a puppy because he was fine with women and kids but he was defensive when men were around. We had to move on short notice and couldn't afford a place we could take him with us so we had to surrender him at the pound. I'll never forget us leaving while he's yelping and jumping in his cage for us to come back and get him. The lady working there says they'll probably have to put him down because he'll be almost impossible to place given he doesn't like men. Thanks ***** next time at least wait until the sobbing owners leave. This was 20+ years ago whereas now we'd have a better shot to find him a home with online postings, shelters and rescues. One of my good friends just had to put one of his dogs down as she had an inoperable brain tumor. She wasn't acting like herself and I know it gutted him to do it but it was for the best because she was in pain and there was no fixing it. My condolences for what you're going through as pets are family.
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gs11rmb
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Post by gs11rmb on Oct 1, 2019 7:40:07 GMT -5
I find taking a dog in the woods and shooting it instead of at least exploring the option of relinquishing it in exchange for the treatment to be rather disturbing and selfish. I can understand your point of view but I don't think that's going to be a viable option. There are so many young and healthy dogs waiting to be adopted that the chances of someone wanting a mature animal with problems have to be slim. I would feel differently if the vet had offered the "relinquish" option but that's not the case. @rockhounder has been given the options to pay for care she can't afford, watch a much loved pet suffer, or put down the dog herself. A much more humane option would be for the vet to euthanize the animal as requested.
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andi9899
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Post by andi9899 on Oct 1, 2019 8:09:46 GMT -5
I find taking a dog in the woods and shooting it instead of at least exploring the option of relinquishing it in exchange for the treatment to be rather disturbing and selfish. I can understand your point of view but I don't think that's going to be a viable option. There are so many young and healthy dogs waiting to be adopted that the chances of someone wanting a mature animal with problems have to be slim. I would feel differently if the vet had offered the "relinquish" option but that's not the case. @rockhounder has been given the options to pay for care she can't afford, watch a much loved pet suffer, or put down the dog herself. A much more humane option would be for the vet to euthanize the animal as requested. Correct me if I'm wrong, but there was no mention of whether the vet offered a relinquish option or not. In fact, the vet refused to euthanize the dog because it was very fixable. Also, there are plenty of no kill shelters that will take it. So how does shooting the dog seem like a good idea? If the dog was that beloved, I'd think that she would be trying to do whatever she could. $1,000 isn't that much money for a family member. Especially since the vet offered a payment plan. If you can't afford it, let someone else have the dog. The "dog gets what she gets or will be shot" attitude is what bothers me.
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andi9899
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Post by andi9899 on Oct 1, 2019 8:22:33 GMT -5
Let me say that over the past several months I've come across some senior dogs that I would love to have if I didn't already have too many dogs as it is. I've decided that I'm not getting any more puppies once the twins are gone. There are plenty of senior dogs that deserve to have a good home for the time they have left on this earth. I'm going that route from now on. Particularly since I love enormous dogs and they can be hard to adopt out, especially if they are an "aggressive" breed. Quotations because I don't believe a breed is aggressive, rather dogs haven't had owners that know how to handle their breed.
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gs11rmb
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Post by gs11rmb on Oct 1, 2019 8:24:26 GMT -5
She didn't mention the relinquish option so I'm guessing it wasn't offered. However, you're quite correct that I don't know for sure.
A $1,000 is a lot of money for someone who is living on the edge of financial disaster. If this had happened a year from now when @rockhounder had sold her house and had some money in the bank then her answer may well be different. I live in a city and could quite easily find a no-kill shelter. I'm not sure that's so easy in rural communities.
I also don't think she has a bad attitude more that she's resigned to losing an animal she loves and is trying to figure out the best way to minimize his suffering.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 1, 2019 8:29:09 GMT -5
I can understand your point of view but I don't think that's going to be a viable option. There are so many young and healthy dogs waiting to be adopted that the chances of someone wanting a mature animal with problems have to be slim. I would feel differently if the vet had offered the "relinquish" option but that's not the case. @rockhounder has been given the options to pay for care she can't afford, watch a much loved pet suffer, or put down the dog herself. A much more humane option would be for the vet to euthanize the animal as requested. Correct me if I'm wrong, but there was no mention of whether the vet offered a relinquish option or not. In fact, the vet refused to euthanize the dog because it was very fixable. Also, there are plenty of no kill shelters that will take it. So how does shooting the dog seem like a good idea? If the dog was that beloved, I'd think that she would be trying to do whatever she could. $1,000 isn't that much money for a family member. Especially since the vet offered a payment plan. If you can't afford it, let someone else have the dog. The "dog gets what she gets or will be shot" attitude is what bothers me. You and I have a very different viewpoint of what is cruel. Also, I'm not sure where you're getting the $1000 number from? The only dollar amount I saw Rockhounder post was 3K. And we all know she has NO money. She loves her dog, quit trying to make her feel bad.
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andi9899
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Post by andi9899 on Oct 1, 2019 8:29:24 GMT -5
She didn't mention the relinquish option so I'm guessing it wasn't offered. However, you're quite correct that I don't know for sure. A $1,000 is a lot of money for someone who is living on the edge of financial disaster. If this had happened a year from now when @rockhounder had sold her house and had some money in the bank then her answer may well be different. I live in a city and could quite easily find a no-kill shelter. I'm not sure that's so easy in rural communities. I also don't think she has a bad attitude more that she's resigned to losing an animal she loves and is trying to figure out the best way to minimize his suffering. My point exactly! If you can't afford your dog, allow someone who can to take it. If there is no shelter that will take it, maybe a friend or family member can. Maybe a friend of a friend. At least TRY. I would think if the dog was that well loved she'd at least try. It doesn't sound like she has so far.
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andi9899
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Post by andi9899 on Oct 1, 2019 8:32:00 GMT -5
My dog is about 8. He was found in the woods by horseback riders after having been dumped as a young dog. That's where I got him. He and his brother dog were starving and living on lizards and grass when they were found. My dog had just died, so I took both labs. His brother disappeared one day when I was in town shopping. The vet refused to put him down because he technically has a "fixable" problem though I can't afford to fix him. They kept telling me they would take payments and pushing me to agree to the cost. Sorry, can't afford the payments so WTF am I supposed to do crap the cash? They gave him 2 shots and I am supposed to go back every two weeks and get him more shots I can't afford. I'm also supposed to order him Remadyl that I also can't afford. He's supposed to be locked in a crate and only leash walked for 6 months. Yeah, let me get dressed at 2am and walk my dog in the snow... After 6 months he "may" see some improvement though the vet said he would probably get excited, chase something, and tear the ligament again. Basically, he's always going to have pain, always be lame, and I'm just supposed to watch him hurt. I waited over 3 hours to see the vet yesterday only for him to basically make me feel horrible about not coughing up over $1K to "fix" my dog. I told the vet I will try all the medications I can't afford and if he doesn't get any better then I will put him down myself if I have to rather than watch him suffering. We got home from the vet, my dog walked across the kitchen floor and again fell. How I am supposed to just sit back and watch my dog struggle is a mystery and I am still kinda pissed off, honestly. Here's where the $1K number came from minnesotapaintlady. And we have very different views on what is cruel apparently. I find shooting an otherwise healthy dog to be quite cruel. And I'm not trying to make anyone feel bad, but there are other things that can be tried before shooting a healthy animal.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 1, 2019 8:36:25 GMT -5
And I find dumping an injured dog at a shelter cruel. You have some pretty rose colored glasses when it comes to shelters.
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andi9899
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Post by andi9899 on Oct 1, 2019 8:45:17 GMT -5
And I find dumping an injured dog at a shelter cruel. You have some pretty rose colored glasses when it comes to shelters. So you find shooting a healthy dog to be less cruel than finding it a new home? That's messed up. We're just going to have to agree to disagree I guess.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 1, 2019 8:54:04 GMT -5
You're having a visceral reaction to the "shooting" part. A bullet to the head is just as humane as lethal injection.
But, I agree, we will never in a million years agree on this, so I'm bowing out.
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andi9899
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Post by andi9899 on Oct 1, 2019 8:59:39 GMT -5
You're having a visceral reaction to the "shooting" part. A bullet to the head is just as humane as lethal injection.
But, I agree, we will never in a million years agree on this, so I'm bowing out.
No, I'm having a reaction to the otherwise healthy dog part and the "she gets what she gets or dies attitude". Don't assume you know what I'm thinking.
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finnime
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Post by finnime on Oct 1, 2019 9:11:42 GMT -5
Not every dog (or cat) can be saved.
There are not homes for most injured or older animals, or for most 'pit' mixes, or for most strays. Rockhounder did a wonderful thing by taking in 2 strays to begin with.
My own dog is a rescue. He was moved up here to Maryland from South Carolina, where he was found with his littermates in a box on the side of the road. Fortunately he was brought to the shelter there from which the rescue organization picked him up. That organization chooses animals carefully, because many are not adoptable. Those that are not adopted or rescued within 2 weeks are euthanized. There are thousands of animals down south that have no hope of a home or a life as a pet.
My son's former GF worked for the combined Animal Rescue League/SPCA in Washington D.C. They will help people keep their pets by providing medical services and even supplies including food. Better to have them still in a home where they are loved than forcing people in hard times to give them up. The other choice is euthanasia.
No one can save every pet. Give to your local pet shelters and know that people do the best they can, generally, when it comes to their pets. This is not a situation of convenience, but of need.
I truly hope, @rockhounder, that your dog recovers quickly enough, and that if he doesn't or can't recover, that you find your way to ending his suffering, because that is the real cruelty.
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skeeter
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Post by skeeter on Oct 1, 2019 9:12:37 GMT -5
I'm having a problem understanding that it appears this poor dog probably will not get the help he needs because of money when on another thread (heating costs) all new windows and doors are being installed before winter. This cannot be cheap and it seems money is available for that.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 1, 2019 9:18:43 GMT -5
She got the dog the shots and bought the meds, this could be all he needs. Worked for my dog and another one on this thread.
But, we won't know now because she's closed her account and left.
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busymom
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Post by busymom on Oct 1, 2019 10:01:47 GMT -5
There is not always room at animal shelters. That was one of the surprises in moving to where we now live. The local shelters actually have times of the year where they literally announce that they currently have no room for additional pets. Which, coincidentally or not, is when people find pets, or entire litters, dumped along the highway. It breaks my heart, but people need to learn to spay or neuter their furry family members.
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raeoflyte
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Post by raeoflyte on Oct 1, 2019 10:07:58 GMT -5
No-kill shelters would almost guaranteed not take an injured animal. Not to get into the fact that no-kill shelters will euthanize non-adoptable animals and the longer an animal is left there, especially dogs, the less likely they are to ever be adopted. It's marketing, and a reason more animals are abandoned.
Shelters in rural areas can barely take in puppies and kittens.
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raeoflyte
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Post by raeoflyte on Oct 1, 2019 10:08:38 GMT -5
I'm having a problem understanding that it appears this poor dog probably will not get the help he needs because of money when on another thread (heating costs) all new windows and doors are being installed before winter. This cannot be cheap and it seems money is available for that. Pretty sure she said the utility company is paying for those upgrades.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Oct 1, 2019 10:10:36 GMT -5
I'm having a problem understanding that it appears this poor dog probably will not get the help he needs because of money when on another thread (heating costs) all new windows and doors are being installed before winter. This cannot be cheap and it seems money is available for that. She is getting help for this though a low income energy conservation program. Not quite the same thing. Are you willing to pay for her vet bill?
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TheOtherMe
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Post by TheOtherMe on Oct 1, 2019 10:17:26 GMT -5
She got the dog the shots and bought the meds, this could be all he needs. Worked for my dog and another one on this thread.
But, we won't know now because she's closed her account and left. I am sorry to see Shasta leave, but I do not blame her.
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gs11rmb
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Post by gs11rmb on Oct 1, 2019 10:40:52 GMT -5
No-kill shelters would almost guaranteed not take an injured animal. Not to get into the fact that no-kill shelters will euthanize non-adoptable animals and the longer an animal is left there, especially dogs, the less likely they are to ever be adopted. It's marketing, and a reason more animals are abandoned. Shelters in rural areas can barely take in puppies and kittens. Why are they called no-kill shelters? I get that they stop taking animals because they are full but I didn't know they would then euthanize. I thought that was the point of a no-kill shelter?
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Oct 1, 2019 10:41:11 GMT -5
She got the dog the shots and bought the meds, this could be all he needs. Worked for my dog and another one on this thread.
But, we won't know now because she's closed her account and left. I am sorry to see Shasta leave, but I do not blame her. Neither do I. This is a hard enough decision to make, without the thought of paying thousands of $$ for medical treatment for a dog. We have money, and we still went through this mental exercise as to whether we would pay for an expensive treatment for the mutt.
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NastyWoman
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Post by NastyWoman on Oct 1, 2019 10:51:15 GMT -5
I'm having a problem understanding that it appears this poor dog probably will not get the help he needs because of money when on another thread (heating costs) all new windows and doors are being installed before winter. This cannot be cheap and it seems money is available for that. I believe it is not @rockhounder's money but rather from some kind of program that provides help for the (rural) poor. Somewhere in all of her posts I seem to remember that Rockhounders annual income is in the $14k range. Tell me again where that money is supposed to come from?
It is so easy for all of us to project our own environment unto someone else's. But even though Rockhounder and I live in the same state, we might as well live on different planets when it comes to similarities.
Just because I would spend money on a pet, doesn't mean xyz can afford to. Just because I live in an area where there are no-kill shelters doesn't mean xyz has them anywhere close. Just because I have many friends who would potentially help me out doesn't mean xyz has them. Just because... and on, and on, and on.
Many years ago (I am too lazy to look it up) there was someone on the parenting thread that decided to rehome her dogs after she had her first baby. I still remember the attacks she faced because of her decision: the dogs were there first; this was cruel; obvioulsly someone who should never have had a pet. And all the while she was hurting because she loved her dogs but they did not adjust well to having a baby in the house.
Let's not make this into a similar kind of situation and don't judge so harshly without having walked a mile in Rockhounder's shoes
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