When you just can’t keep them
Originally posted on www.thesuburban.com, written by Judie Amyot
I would like to think that everyone who adopts a companion animal — be it a dog, cat, rabbit, bird or any other type — does so with the steadfast intention of caring for that animal for its entire life. Sadly, this is not always the case. Pets given as gifts for Christmas or birthdays dazzle and excite at first, but in some homes, when the novelty wears off and the reality of how much care this pet needs on a daily basis not to mention the expense, things can often go from sweet to sour very quickly.
A dilemma ensues, one that is often callously settled by a swift abandonment of the animal with no thought to its wellbeing. How heartless can one be, tying a whimpering dog up to a tree or a fence and leaving it there or tossing it out of a car door and then speeding away. And yet, this happens all too often. Cats let out to roam, because some think that is what cats are meant to do, often never come home and are stolen, attacked by other animals or found as roadkill.
There are many reasons why a pet that was once wanted and adored ends up abandoned and if it’s lucky, taken to a shelter where it will find a new home. We are quick to judge and condemn owners who turf a pet and often that condemnation is merited. However, some have no choice for a variety of reasons usually related to a move where pets are not permitted, diminished finances, a separation or divorce, lack of time to care for or work with an animal that needs training, or allergies that weren’t anticipated.
Others just thought of the pet as a plaything, spontaneously purchased, that can be easily discarded when boredom sets in. Good intentions don’t always result in happy endings.
It’s easier to rationalize seeing a cat dashing across the street as one would assume its owner lets it wander but to see a stray dog running around, we may automatically think it has accidentally escaped its yard or may have been deliberately dumped especially when it has no collar or microchip. Cat or dog, this is someone’s pet, a sentient being, a family member. Surely it must be loved and its owner frantic at its disappearance.
Not necessarily. What kind of love lets a cat out to wander the neighbourhood, kill birds, poop in neighbours’ gardens and possibly end up dead. And for dogs, by the same token, kicked out of its home because it has become a burden. This speaks volumes about the owner who couldn’t be bothered to surrender the unwanted animal to the SPCA or an animal shelter so its life can have meaning to someone else.
Dumping a pet just anywhere keeps the owner anonymous and spares them potential negative judgement they fear they may experience if they go the shelter route. Not so. They may not win any pet owner awards, but they will be thanked for doing the right thing and putting the animal’s wellbeing first.
I know of a golden retriever who is as sweet as honey and was adopted from Animatch into a loving home, but due to the owner’s personal circumstances, found herself back at Animatch in search of permanence again. It didn’t take long for her to find what I hope will now be her forever home and I thank the previous owner for doing the right thing and bringing her back to Animatch.
Their sole mission is to find loving, permanent homes for these four-legged homeless souls. It’s what every pet wants and deserves, and behind every happy soul you’ll find a wagging tail.
