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Originally Posted by GeorgiesMomma  I have nothing profound to add as I go back and forth on this subject. It breaks my heart when people say my Yorkie was diagnosed with whatever condition but I can't afford to have him/her fixed. I do, however understand that not everyone has the funds to pay for it. I feel bad for both the owner and dog. I think often of when Georgie was diagnosed with AAI and the next week I was laid off. My husband and I both agreed he had to be fixed and we would use care credit if it meant taking longer and paying the interest. Again, I know not everyone can do that but I would hope that if they can't they would consider giving the dog to a rescue to give him/her a chance. JMO |
I'm like you - I go back and forth wanting lonely people to have the companion they need but hating to see an innocent dog limping around in pain because the person won't or can't get him the surgery he so needs! It breaks your heart to think that dog loves that person no matter what they let them do without or need when the persons often have a smart phone, internet access & HDTV and spend $4.00 for gas. If someone says they can't afford their dogs vet care but has cable/satellite at $100+ a month and all the connectability in the world - I go deaf to them! They can do without all those niceties for the dog if they really wanted to and could sell a lot of things or arrange a loan.
But if that person is living in severely reduced circumstances, doing without medicine or things they need just to feed that dog, I am way more understanding but still it makes you queasy to think a dog is suffering.
I personally think a person should think long and hard before getting a dog that might have to suffer or die some day because they can't afford its vet treatment and decide whether they would be willing to do without many things to treat their dog if it ever came to it. Sell that expensive computer or HDTV, those high-priced earrings. I'm not talking about the huge amounts some spend extending a dog's life with cancer in several areas in its body or something like that but to surgically repair a fracture or LP surgery, that sort of thing. I understand not many can or would want to treat for months or prolong the life of hopeless, cancer-ridden dog and run up bills of $25k+ & such - many people can't afford that kind of extended treatment or don't believe in putting an animal through extroadinary treatment measures. But for those who can't or won't just get a hip dislocation surgically reduced because of money and want an organization to help when they are driving a less than 10 year old car, carrying an expensive handbag and chatting on the iPhone - those I have problems with their lack of humanity to want to do without some of that to help their little dog. But they sure do get online and start looking for help sometimes! Those people just don't want the full responsibility of caring for a dog to my way of thinking, not if it will cost them the extras they seem to need. And what is sickening is thinking if they do sign that poor dog over to a rescue for treatment, they are probably out getting another healthy dog in no time.
But some old man who lives in a ramshackle house and only has his dog to love and care for, in the main, I wish those type folks could get some help and keep their dogs without having to give them up.