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Originally Posted by Nancy1999  I agree with the title. The thought that a dog is suffering because someone can't afford treatment makes me sick. A member here, while visiting her vet overheard a couple telling the receptionist to put their healthy lab to sleep because they could not afford several hundred dollars to fix his broken leg. I really think animals adapt to new situations and people have a harder time adjusting than the animal does. I think it's a very unselfish act to give a dog up, but in my opinion, someone who puts a dog to sleep because they can't afford standard medical treatments doesn't deserve to ever have a dog again. I know everyone has a limit on what they could afford, but I'm talking about basic care and treatment for injuries. I wouldn't fault someone for choosing to end the life of a dog suffering from cancer. I think that's why its good to study the breed before you buy and be aware of the genetic conditions that afflict the breed. Also, people should be aware that even healthy dogs tend to rack up more vet bills as they grow older and either have insurance or a savings for their pets. |
I do agree that is a dog is suffering, it's very cruel. I do see what you're saying, and don't completely disagree with the statement either. I guess a better statement I would agree with is : "if you can't afford the vet, you can't afford to BUY A NEW pet" lol. I do not think it's fair to say all dogs will adapt to new situations -- yes dogs in general are very adaptable creatures, but I will not fault someone for choosing to put to sleep if it came down to it. While there are a lot of very happy dogs in rescues and shelters, there are also a lot of miserable dogs who, I think if they could talk, would want to stay with their people if they had the choice. Something like a broken leg seems silly to PTS over, but do you know the severity of it? I do think dogs are PTS far too often for stupid things... but a lot of dogs are needlessly living in shelters too, and I'm not sure that is a whole lot better.
I know someone who had a Great Dane who had a freak accident and caused a freak injury. The chance of the bone dislocating again and again was very high. There was no chance for it to mend without surgery. And with his sheer size, the surgery most likely wouldn't have been successful. Sure, it could have been, and she could have given it a shot, but she didn't want to put him through months of miserable surgery after surgery when he was a very active dog who probably wouldn't have done well nor had the same quality of life.
As I said, I'm the type that would most likely try everything that I possibly could, that's just me. But I won't judge those who choose to NOT go to the top specialists, and maybe just provide basic minimal care. It may not be ideal. But I think most of us here on YT are unfortunately a small percentage of most dog owners who are willing to go above and beyond for their beloved family members. I also will not judge though who DO decide to re-home for the sake of the dog either.