Commitment

[Itort]

If you purchase or adopt an animal, should it be considered a lifelong commitment or a fun coolthing to be played with and disposed of when the next thing catches your interest ? If you tire of it should the breeder be contacted to see if they will assist in rehoming or sell it off or send to rescue? What should be your commitment to the animal?

 

[Isa]

In my book, when someone adopt an animal, it should be a lifelong commitment. 5 years ago my sister's friend was looking for a new home for her cat because the cat was beeing agressive with her baby (It is different because she had no choice), my sister took it. My sister has a son of 1 year old (well he is going to be 1 tomorrow ) and the cat does not bother him at all.

I think that if someone does not want his/her pet, it is his/her responsability to find the pet a new home.

 

[Yvonne G]

I'll never understand how some people can "dispose" of a 4-legged family member at any whim. IMHO taking on a pet, be it dog, cat, bird or reptile, is a lifelong (the animal's) commitment. There are sometimes extenuating circumstances when you must place your pet in a new home, but to just dump it out in the country or take it to the pound because you don't want it anymore...that's just wrong.

Yesterday I went out to feed the horses and there was a youngish black lab type dog sitting at the curb across the street looking south towards the busy street. When I walked towards him he took off down the street away from the busy street. I didn't think any more about him, but heard my dog barking on and off all day. Then last night when I went out to feed, there he still was. Sitting in the same place looking towards the busy street. Of course, one can never know, but I got the impression that someone had dumped him out of their car and he was waiting for them to come back for him. I called the SPCA but they won't come unless the dog is contained. I couldn't catch him. He was afraid. I hate that! It makes me feel so sad for the dog. He had a home and now, just out of the blue, he's homeless and doesn't know what's going on.

Yvonne

 

[Itort]

When we were breeding cats our sales contract specifically requested that if the cat was no longer wanted, they were to contact us and we would rehome it. As breeders we strived for good friendly healthy animals and encouraged responsible ownership. Any I breed and sell, I expect the new owners keep appraise me of any change in status. I do not produce animals to be brokered and if I find this happening there are consequences to such actions.

 

[katesgoey]

I agree it is a lifetime commitment... I used to volunteer and foster dogs from our local shelter. I saw "categories" of people - those who treated animals like things or status symbols, those that cared but were not educated, those who were sick and abused them and those whose life circumstances changed and needed to rehome them. I found education helped most, and that with the last category we should not judge them harshly. Some volunteers were harsh with some of them so I worried about their pets when they left and we never heard from them again. On the other hand, there was the woman who answered all the questions, had a great home/yard, then returned the dog because her pee turned the green lawn yellow in spots....what?...sigh

 

[Kayti]

I think it is the pet owner's responsibility to look down the next 20, (or, in the case of a Russian, 80) years or so and really think about things that might happen that would interfere with their ability to keep an animal.

And it's the breeder's/shelter manager's responsibility to ensure that the future pet owner actually does this.

On the same vein, it always makes me REALLY angry when I talk to people who have a dog, or a cat, and say they can't afford to get it fixed, or vaccinated, or treated by a vet.
If you can't afford the vet, you can't afford the pet!

What happens when you dog gets hit by a car? Or your cat gets old, and her kidney's start to go? REALLY expensive. If that's not something you think you'd be willing to shell out the money for, DON'T come to me asking about adopting my foster kittens.
That also makes me angry at the people who just give pets away into those irresponsible situations, too. I can't read the craigslist pet section anymore because it just makes me infuriated.

People, more often than not (and I'm not saying there aren't exceptions) value what they pay for. And you're more likely to find a good home willing to pay $100 for a fixed, vaccinated, wormed, micro-chipped kitten, than a good home for a free! adorable! ifounditinmyyard! kitten.

I'm very excited for the next 80 years with my torts. I may not be able to really comprehend the responsibility I've undertaken, but I think we'll be able to adapt.

 

[Itort]

The one thing we learned to be cautious off are brokers. We solved that problem by only selling neutered cats. If someone wanted to breed they are required to show a neutered cat to premeirship (equivalent of champship for intact cats). This showed us the commitment of owner and owner the expense and responsibilty of this endivour. Unforunately with torts this not possible. I have recently come across an individual who is acting like a broker much to the dismay of the breeder. Any ideas on how to prevent this?

 

[james]

i believe that once you get any kind of animal, you are commited to "it" for life. unless something happens beyond your control, then you must find a good home for it. i read a craigslist ad for someone trying to give away a dog, becuase ther person they were renting a room to took off and left the dog. that's not right at all. people are too selfish sometimes.

 

[cvalda]

I don't think there is a black and white answer to that question. Of course it's the owner's responsibility and it's NEVER okay for someone to just ditch or disregard a pet/just dump it or release it in a field, etc. That should be a crime! But when it comes to responsible owners rehoming pets, it really depends on why you've taken in the animal, and what your circumstances are. A GENERAL answer would be that yes, you are making a commitment for the life of the animal. But when you look at specific situations, the answer varies.

For instance we had to rehome one of our dogs. It's definately not because we outgrew him or wanted to "make room" or anything else. He was soooooooo energetic and needed so much attention, and we just couldn't manage him. He was unhappy, he was constantly escaping out the front door (smartie learned how to open the door) and then scaring the dog-phobic neighbors! We had to make a VERY difficult decision to find a better sitaution for him, and found the perfect family for him where he can live on a farm and have jobs to do and land to run on! It would have been very selfish of us to keep him when we just weren't able to meet his needs!

Anything consideration would be the purpose of taking in the animal. For instance I took in a lot of Russians with the idea of breeding them. We saw no action in them, and I found dragons who are more productive. I traded a lot of the Russians for the dragons. However we haven't gotten rid of any of the tortoises that we got with the purpose of just having them as pets (like the Leopards).

Another thing to look at is the pet itself. I honestly don't think the Russians cared who was feeding them as long as they are in an appropriate environment and being well cared for! I don't think they were really attached to us personally, not like a dog or cat or horse would be!!!

And then of course there's rescue/rehab situations where one is just trying to get an animal out of a bad situation, rehab it, and then find a GOOD home for it.

As for if the breeder should be contacted, I believe that to is a case-by-case situation. I know with many dog breeders, you sign a contract when you buy them saying that you will return the dog to them if you can no longer care for it. So in that case, by all means the breeder should be contacted! It was stated upfront and seems a non-issue. If nothing is stated about this upfront, then I think it's up to the owner. I for own adopted out a couple of adult dragons - I had taken in a few groups of dragons who needed to be rehomed as a group (because the previous owners just wanted to get them out), with the thoughts of finding the good breeders, and then rehoming the rest. Sort of like a rescue situation. When I rehomed them, I wrote up a "contract" and one of the things in it was that if the new owner needed to rehome them and didn't want to/couldn't find an appropriate home, they'd return the dragons to me and I'd do it.

So that's the long answer! LOL! The short is - it's a case-by-case thing and ultimately the owner's responsibility to do what is right for the pet!

 

[Crazy1]

I know this is long but it is something that is near and dear to my heart.

I think People in general are good hearted, at least I hope so. A lot are not educated. People who get animals like torts often do not know what they are getting into the "oh its so cute" gene takes over and over rides the brain. (Impulse buying) I'm guilty of it as I know a lot of us are(I love little ones). But a lot of pet stores do not educate the person that that cute little tort is going to grow up to be 100+ lbs and destroy your yard and can not be kept inside anymore. And I know it is the responsiblity of a pet owner or potential pet owner to research the pet and the type of care it take but again (Impulse buy). I know since I started talking more about torts at work my coworkers were amazed that if you keep them in a small tank they will outgrow it. It was their thoughts that if you kept a tort (any tort or turt) in a 10 gal aquarium they will stay little forever. I explained yes because they die well before their time. Most were shocked that they lived to be 80 or more if they live to their full potential or what actually goes into raising and keeping a tort. (Now they think I am Crazier than ever and they don't understand that they have their own personalities etc.. I often get asked, "what do you get out of having a tort?")

Does having and keeping more hatchlings make me irresponsible or a bad owner, now that I am 55 and will more than likely not outlive these new hatchlings? 'NO' I don’t think so. Though I will miss them when I am gone, and it makes me a little sad to think of, I have made arrangements for their care. Will that change between now and when I go, possibly but then I or my daughter will take the next step to find them good homes at that time.

I agree some people often act as if an animal, no matter what kind, is a possession not a living breathing being. And in most cases so does the law. This Law, I feel, needs to be changed, and could only help the animals.

Pet owners:
If a person obtains a pet it should become part of their family a member of the family. Would they throw out their kids? Perhaps some would, but the majority would not. And I look at adopting or buying an pet as you are intending to provide it a forever home.

Breeders:
Breeders I feel are a tad different. They may purchase animals for breeding and not get emotionally attached to the animal. But the animals are cared for so that they produce the best possible offspring.
they get all that a non emotional person can provide, food, medical care care of its needs and usually love at some level.

Puppy mill people:
I know there are “Puppy mills” these people are not pet owners, nor do I consider them a breeder. They are a person out to make a buck and these people do not care about the animals. These are the people who, IMO should not own animals. The animal is not well cared for, the esencial needs are not met and often medical care is withheld.

Foster People:
I foster torts, these I never intend to keep forever. I foster, I provide love, food, medical care and tend to any needs that tort may have just as if I owned it. And yes I may have it for some time. I do not expect anything back for the tort. I do however try and find it the best possible forever home I can. That does not mean I love them any less than the ones I own. It simply means I cannot care for all I end up with and my living circumstances are such that large torts I can not commit to at this time. I would love to have been able to keep Vanolla and the two male DT I currently foster but I rent and IF my circumstances change I can care for small torts but not large DT or Sullys. So the CTTC would rehome the male DT I foster for them. I know they would be cared for.

So there is my take on things. An animal no matter what kind is a living breathing being and as such should been shown the same care I would show to any living breathing thing that I chose to care for.
And that is the bottom line these people chose. And yes they should chose wisely and commit to their choices.