Why do people abandon their animals when they move?

1. 95

   peeplesposted 10 years ago

   Why do people abandon their animals when they move?
   
   A neighbor moved out and left a beautiful sweet German Shepard husky mix behind. We have taken her in for now. She is an amazing well behaved dog. Why do people do this? With all the resources out there (shelters, freecycle, craigslist) are there any excuse for abandoning your animal?
   
   

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2. 0

   JThomp42posted 10 years ago

   Laziness, cruelty, irresponsibility, etc. I have seen this too many times. It is so cruel and inhumane. The main reason being I believe is because they are maybe moving out of town and just do not want to fool with taking their PET with them. Another cause I believe is where they are moving no pets are allowed. So, they take the easy way out and just leave the pet for someone else to worry about. Thank goodness we still have people with a heart that will take some of these animals as their own. I would say most end up in an animal shelter. Hopefully a no-kill shelter.

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3. 60

   fpherj48posted 10 years ago

   Quite sadly, not everyone views this as nearly the same as abandoning a child....as you and I and animal lovers do. Although, I have to say, it takes a special kind of "MEAN" to abandon a pet, which to most of us are actual members of our family!
   Cruel, heartless.....yeah, those are 2 words that seem to fit.  Very maddening.  (You just want to find these nasty people and GROWL at them!)
   Then, there are people like you and your family who "rescue."   Thank heaven for the individuals with heart and soul!
   My husband used to manage rental properties.  In your wildest dreams....the average person cannot IMAGINE what people leave behind!!    Beating a fast path outta town for some reason???

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4. 61

   Penny Gposted 10 years ago

   Well it is a sad ordeal. In my area the Animal shelters who use to take unwanted animals now charge people when they bring them in. In amny cases they can't afford the pet and sure don't have the money to pay the shelter. SIGH what to do. If you can't find a friend or person to take them I guess these people do it out of desperation . It doesn't make it any more acceptable I know. That is just the inforamtion I have to offer.

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5. 71

   LoisRyan13903posted 10 years ago

   I know sometimes shelters are full but with with Craig's List and the local paper there is no excuse.  Before I got my cat fixed, she had kittens and we had no problem adopting them out to people by posting on CL.  Sometimes a pet disappears when people are moving.  But usually the owners will either come back to find the pet-if they are close-or let their neighbors know the pet is missing.  Well at least you have the heart to adopt a beautiful dog.
   As Penny says a lot of shelters charge a fee and that might be a reason and some of them are particular about animals they take in.

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6. 85

   btrbellposted 10 years ago

   I belong to several online groups that deal with this everyday. It is horrifying what people do with their pets. If you need help or need to rehome her, you can start with Straydar. These people watch it for situations like yours. Good luck. She is a beauty.

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7. 65

   OldRosesposted 10 years ago

   There is no excuse for abandoning any animal.  Unfortunately, people do it but I don't think that they do it maliciously.  They just don't put the same value on their pets as they do on their children and other human relatives.  They regard pets not as living beings, but as objects like a car or furniture.  I work with a cat rescue and the excuses that people give for surrendering their cats are unbelievable to me.  They got tired of it.  Their kids need a new pet.  Their fiance is allergic.  My all-time favorite:  they redecorated and the cat no longer matches their color scheme.  So it doesn't surprise me when people move and leave their pet behind.  I'm holding a sweet, purring cat in my lap as I type that was left behind when her former owners moved out of state.  They didn't care that she was old, blind and declawed.  They were off to a new life that didn't include her.  We need more education to help people understand that when they adopt a pet, that it is similar to adopting a child.  And just as they wouldn't abandon a child, they shouldn't abandon their pets.

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8. 81

   peachpurpleposted 10 years ago

   if they live in an apartment, no pets are allowed right?

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