Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Asshat Rant - Senior Dogs ... Again

I'd love to send this one in an email to this guy ...

Ok so I've said it once, I'll say it again. If you have a dog that's reached it's senior years, you should keep it for the last few it'll be around!! It's selfish of you to try to get rid of her at this point and it's even worse on her - you'll likely break her heart if not her spirit. Here's an ad from a person who has an 11 year old JRT who is admittedly agressive towards other dogs!! She's free to a good home.

Come on, are you really that stupid? How can you be such an asshat?? Even if you are able to find someone to take your old, dog agressive *DA* dog, do you really think they'll keep her around if she snarls, barks, lunges, or anything else at any other dog?? What about kids? Other people? Cats? How long do you really think she'll last?

If you take her to a shelter, chances are good that they'll euthanize her if she shows agression. Unless you were to take her to a No Kill, which are few and far between and even then there's not really a good guarantee. How long before she shows her DA and is forced to redirect her frustration on the handler? Not all No Kill shelters have people who are trained to work with these dogs (and I for one already have a full house and a waiting list!).

If you've kept this dog this long than why not keep her around? You've shown that at one point you did want her. She's probably going to want to rest a lot of the time since she's older. She won't need as much exercise now as she once did anyway!

Good grief. She's small. You could always crate her in a large sized dog crate in the back seat of your vehicle for the time you're at work. Then take her out at your scheduled breaks (you're in Ontario which means that by law you should have two 15 minute breaks and one 30 minute minimum if you are working 8 hours a day). Then walk her when you get to work and when you get off work. She'll probably have more walks doing this than normal for her anyway! Give her access to water and crack a window in your vehicle. Yes, this is easier done with vans, SUVs and other cars with back hatches, but it's entirely doable.

Don't give me the line about how that's "cruel". Do you crate her when you leave? Do you lock her in the house when you go to work? Your house is just a large crate with some comfy couches she can use as dog beds - nothing more. Give her a soft bed to lie on in the crate and she'll be just as happy. Taking your dog to work and keeping it in a crate in the car (if not just in the car w/no crate) is just as "cruel" as leaving it at home. The only difference is the temperature - cold in the winter, hot in the summer. You make sure the dog always has water and a cracked window (if not two or three) and it will be quite comfortable - though your windows may be foggy when you get back.

Asshat.

8 comments:

GoLightly said...

What a creepoid human being.
11 years, but oops, no time any more.
Nice, really nice. NOT!!!
I hate seeing those ads.
Just put her to sleep, FFS. Why do people get dogs, if they're just going to dispose of them when they're no longer convenient?
Och, I do hate people some days. Not you, though, DDF!
Infuriating, to say the least.
I'd e-mail her, but I'd just say nasty things. The owner is just a lazy assHat.

Molly the Airedale said...

I'm 10 1/2 years old and mom says that she can't imagine life without her "senior" girlie! We get sweeter as we get older!
This dumdum is missing out on the best years of her pups life! What a horrible shame!

RedDeerSeeker said...

You are totally right....only thing is I hate to see a dog in a vehicle for more than a couple minutes. Here in Canada, it's either way too cold or way too hot. People don't realize how quickly a car heats up.

Hilary said...

I have a young JRT who visits me on weekends and (gently) torments my cats. He's out for long walks twice a day where he meets and socializes with other dogs. I think that's a huge factor in why he doesn't show true aggression to other critters. I can't imagine ever giving up a pet to anything but carefully considered euthanasia once their lives are all but over. Some people just fail to see them as family.

GoLightly said...

Eleanor, if I have to leave my dogs in my car, I leave the car running with either heat or A/C on. It's always a brief moment in time. I do hate wasting gas, but not on my dogs:) Their comfort is too important to ignore. So many times, you'll see a dog in a parking lot, looking woeful. Winter actually doesn't bother me as much as summer, although of course, it depends on the temp, and the dog...
And I lock the doors, and use my spare key to get back in....

I hate that owner, can you tell??
Put the dog to sleep, but whoops that would cost money. better to give her away, to who knows who:(

DogsDeserveFreedom said...

I think everyone probably has an opinion about leaving dogs in the car. And likely everyone's opinion will be different.

The view for this one is ... you really can't be that busy to not be able to care for this senior dog. There are many scenarios that one could pursue - one of which is the car option. Crating at work is the cheapest option.

There are also doggie daycare centres, dog walkers, etc. I know they are not the best options and aren't always the greatest, but for an 11 year old dog who is dog agressive, there aren't many options that WILL work.

Life With Dogs said...

Asshat indeed. Unfortunately a quick trip to the pound will demonstrate that there is an asshat army.

Losers.

RedDeerSeeker said...

GoLightly....
I agree 100%. I see way too many dogs in a car on a hot day with the window down a crack! It's FURIATING!!!!!