Another sign of the times? Pet dumping!

Yes, we all know how hard people have it these days.

All my kids have moved on to lives of their own, being in their 20's [thankfully, all gainfully employed] and I have pets who are now my babies.

I am asking people to please stop dumping pets off at my home. This is not adressed to anyone in particular, just people who are considering doing it.

Since May of this year, I have had 5, yes, 5 dogs, dumped off in my driveway. Is anyone else having this problem?

I understand that people are concerned about feeding their children first, when times are tough, but please, this is not fair!

My husband and I are having a rough time ourselves. He has MS, and because of our financial situation, he tried to return to work last year and got injured badly.

I am known around town for taking in stray dogs in the past, because it breaks my heart to see them hungry, but this is getting ridiculous!

We are having to pay extra vet bills for you dumping off your animals at my home. We are spending more on dog food than for what we spend on ourselves to eat. Frankly, I am getting tired of beans!

It is not my responsibility to find your pets a new home! It is very difficult in these times, as we all know.

Please, pets are part of the family, for me at least.

Would you dump your child in my driveway?

We bought a few acres, after we sold our house, in the area that we live. We bought a 5th wheel to live in, as we would like to be able to go where we want, when we want to without financial burden.

We already have 3 small dogs of our own, who fit into our place nicely.

As I am typing this, I am looking at a very small dog who showed up recently. He can't be more than 6lbs, and is an older dog, by his teeth.

I gave him a flea bath today, and put a monthly dose of flea medication on him.

He looks so happy right now, a warm place to sleep. I can't keep him, or any of them! 2 of the dogs that have shown up, are a doberman mix, and a malamute. Huge dogs, but so, very sweet. They are great around our small dogs.

It's breaking my heart!

The beautiful white persian kitty I have is a rescue. Someone dumped her in a wooded area. Poor little darling had a bad ear infection and was infested with fleas. She is deaf, but I learned to communicate with her right away by switching a light on and off to let her know I was entering a room. She was terrified when we first got her. Now she is the sweetest most loving cat. I use hand gestures to call her to me. Of course she has to be looking when I do it. LOL

My hubby and I have rescued so many animals, wild and domesticated. I once bottle fed 3 tiny kittens at the same time. Right now I only have one cat and a turtle. The turtle was a rescue as well. Just before we both lost our jobs, we saw an orange tabbey that was dumped in the same area. We took it to the vets and brought it home then found it a new home.

Animal shelters are filled to capacity. I think that is why people are dumping their animals everywhere. Plus, they must know you are kind and compassionate and are taking advantage of you. There are so many things that sadden me these days. Homeless people, homeless animals etc. I hope somehow you are able to find homes for the dogs.

We have this happen from time to time. I feel sorry for all the little critters, grown dogs, puppies, cats and even a box of kittens once, but I cannot afford to feed them all and provide healthcare for them, so off to the animal shelter most of them go.

This just breaks my heart. This happens allot on my duty post and I have 2 dogs from people just leaving them and moving to their next duty station. I wish I could rescues more but I can't, another thing that is rather prevalent at least at my last 2 duty stations is people Pcsing (moving away) and locking their pets in the home and leaving them to die that just boils my blood. Especially since we took an oath to defend those that can't defend them self’s. There cracking down now on people that gust leave there dogs and cats now thank god it can even carry jail time in the military now.

reply to post by Night Star


Thanks for the reply. You have an idea what I am talking about.

My husband says, no more! We just can't do it, yet the little dog who showed up, is in his lap right now. I guess we are softies.

Yes, I agree that shelters are very full right now. God only knows how they manage to feed them all. I used to donate to shelters, but can't afford to anymore, since it seems I am running a shelter here, myself.

I have for myself, a long haired chihuahua which I got at six weeks of age, and I adore her. I have a pomeranian who was a rescue, and our other dog is a shi-tzu who was from an animal shelter.

We believe in rescue of animals, and supply them a great home. We select the ones we want to rescue. I love all dogs, even though we have selected small breeds to fit our home.

It's going to get cold outside here soon, and we have no room for the oth4ers that are 70 pounds and up.

I don't know what to do with them, honestly.

Unfortunately, and this is hard to believe, but I live in Louisiana, and the parish where I live, has no shelter for animals, that is not within a long distance drive from where I live.

The amount of abandoned, not taken care of, or neglegted pets that end up as road kill is amazing.

What we know have, is, an overabundance of vultures around here.

It's disgusting, and I hate to even make a trip to the post office, five minutes away. There are dead animals that should be somebodies pet, everywhere.

Unfortunately this is a sign of the times, and it is happening all over. In the city that I live in, every month they have big dogs that are up for adoption, the main reason is not cause the owners did not want them, but because they lost their house due to the economic times. And most of the apartment complexs will not allow for animals.

reply to post by kyred


At least you have a shelter to take them to.

I just got done explaining there is not one close to where I live.

Also, the one that is a long distance from where I live charges a fee for dropping animals off.

It's almost cheaper for me to feed the ones that show up, rather than take them to the shelter.

I don't understand why I should have to pay a drop off fee for somebody elses dog.

People who abandon or mistreat animals really gets my blood boiling. My animals are like my kids, they're not going anywhere no matter how bad things get. People don't have the mindset to treat animals right, and a lot of people out there certainly don't know how to treat their fellow human beings right. It infuriates me and I wish there were stricter laws about animal abuse. It numbs people, if they can be inhumane to an animal it makes them one step closer to being capable of inhumanity to another person.

reply to post by ashnomadonte


Oh my God, how sad! Why do those people get pets to begin with?

How sad.

I know I am so attached to my pets, and they are to me, as well. One of my cries the whole time I am off running an errand.

Can you only imagine the angst of those abandoned animals?

reply to post by sdcigarpig


Yes, it is very sad.

Nobody, now, these days is assured of job security.

I truely believe that people who run puppy mills, and those that don't get their animals spayed or neutered are part of the problem.

People need to think ahead, before committing to a pet!

I wonder if you could do some kind of a fund raiser? Maybe you could call the newspaper in your area and have them do a story about the animals. Who knows, maybe someone will take in one or two of the dogs, or at the very least will donate money or food.

Originally posted by Orion65
People who abandon or mistreat animals really gets my blood boiling. My animals are like my kids, they're not going anywhere no matter how bad things get. People don't have the mindset to treat animals right, and a lot of people out there certainly don't know how to treat their fellow human beings right. It infuriates me and I wish there were stricter laws about animal abuse. It numbs people, if they can be inhumane to an animal it makes them one step closer to being capable of inhumanity to another person.

I am putting your whole post as a quote because I believe what you say to be true, and very important.

People who abuse animals are likely to abuse people as well, in my opinion.

Jeffrey Dahmer abused animals before he got to people. So, it says a lot about human capacity, when somebody can hurt, neglect, or abandon and animal.

Yes, times are tough, but let's not forget about other beings we entrusted to ourselves!

reply to post by Blanca Rose


Just sad, I think you should be thrown out of the serves with a dishonorable discharge if you leave your pet to die. Just sick, I moved to Cuba for 2 years and I was not allowed to have pets you know what I did I asked around and found my dogs a home! How hard is that + there are rescue orgs that can and will help you place your pet.

reply to post by Night Star


I think that is a great idea. I live in an area that is sort of depressed to begin with, besides the current economic conditions.

If I could even get people to donate a few bags of food, it would be great.

There are a lot of people on food stamps around here.

Perhaps I should write a letter to Bobby Jindahl!

reply to post by ashnomadonte


Thanks for posting this. Pet rescues are a great idea, and people with pets should be aware of them before dumping their pets off.

reply to post by Blanca Rose


here are some orgs you can call

www.aspca.org...
the ASPCA is a good org for help imo #1

www.petfinder.com...
I don't really know much about this site other than you can locate a shelter.
www.emergencyanimalrescue.org...

reply to post by ashnomadonte


Thank you for posting that information. I hope people who are in a quandry about what to do with pets, use it, too.

As for the stories you told of pets being abandoned, I can share another with you.

When my daughter was 17 and already in college, she decided to take summer classes to get herself ahead. She was at a college far away and had to stay in a dorm room.

When we got to the desk to get her room key, the girl shreiked because something ran by and brushed her leg.

Low and behold, it was a ferret, that a student had abondoned in the spring.

She wanted to call maintanance to have it killed, and I immediately picked it up and took it home with me.

That creature was the biggest pain in the rear, but so cute. I found it a good home as well.

How people take on pets, and then dump them amazes me.

I only wonder how many hamsters, pet rats, and parakeets are now running around because they are no longer wanted, because people are short of money.

On Craigslist, somebody at a work site, posted they found a tamed bird. I have been watching that post to see if anyone has claimed it. It's been quite a while.

This is only the begining of your suffering im afraid.

If no one steps in, people like me and you will cry ourselves to sleep more than usual.

reply to post by Wertdagf


Do you have any idea who should step in?

I might be eating dog chow pretty soon, as it is all I seem to be purchasing lately.

How about some ideas for folks who don't know what to do with their pets they can no longer keep?

What nerve somebody dumping their responsibility at your door. Talk about a pet peeve of mine no pun intended. One day I was running late for a meeting when I saw a pickup with a dog on back drive through the neighborhood. By the time I made it to the main intersection out of the neighborhood that truck was behind me but without the dog. At the time I didn't give it much thought but later that day I saw that dog walking down the street.

The sad thing about it is the animal shelter is just five blocks down the main street. Animals running the streets has been a problem in my neighborhood for years. There was a time when so many animals were dumped in my community they would move around in packs, not a good thing let me tell you.

I use to wonder who did these animals belong to, I don't wonder anymore. It irritates me to see people be so trifling when they can no longer support a family pet. They could very well take them to the shelter instead of dooming them to a short miserable life running the streets hungry and sickly.