[yorkietalkjilly]

Originally Posted by gemy

It just never ends. I think some folks are missing an empathy "gene". This was years ago now, maybe 5 or more, when Magic was still a pup.

We were over at the local schoolyard in the early evening. We bumped into some folks who had a Berner. Young dog about one year old. Magic and he started to sniff and say hello. Then I watched the dog move. Oh my; very very obvious this dog had hip dysplasia. I asked his owners do you know that your dog has something wrong with his gait? They said oh yes, he has hip dysplasia. at least that is what the vet told us. I said; what a shame; what grade is it? They explained they didn't want to pay the money for an Xray, that their insurance didn't cover dysplasia, so they did nothing. I also said your dog is in pain, I can see that, and so can you, when you watch this dog move. I asked if they had talked with their breeder. They said don'tknow who that is as we "rescued" this dog from a previous owner. I said well get the papers, call the previous owner and find out. You never know the breeder might be more interested in helping a pup that she bred then you are! In retrospect my comment was awfully judgemental, and I certainly understand why they walked away from me.

I'm not so sorry, it pains me to no end to see animals in pain; and with owners that don't give a hoot. I rather have those owners put the dog down, then to do nothing, but watch a dog move in pain over and over again.

Nb: Just so you know, hip surgery for large breed dogs is Not awfully successful. I'm not sure why, but at this point in time it is so.

Horrible story! I'm like you - I cannot stand to see a dog suffer & don't feel it is human to allow it. What is it about people that don't see animal suffering? If they have a pain - they are at the doctor - but their dog can limp & grow stiff & old before its time with no care. At least you said something - maybe no one ever had. Yes, it drove them off but later, if there was any feeling there in their hearts, maybe late one night they couldn't get it off their mind that their dog was hurting and needed vet help. It could have happened.