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Recently came across this editorial, which basically says the same thing as that story about the dog. It's a great reminder how pets are at our mercy and it's such a big responsibility and a privilege to be a pet owner.
I Am A Dog, Not A Thing
I am a dog. I am a living, breathing animal. I feel pain, joy, love, fear and pleasure.
I am not a thing. If I am hit - I will bruise, I will bleed, I will break. I will feel pain. I am not a thing.
I am a dog. I enjoy playtime, walk time, but more than anything, I enjoy time with my pack - my family - my people. I want nothing more than to be by the side of my human. I want to sleep where you sleep and walk where you walk. I am a dog and I feel love...I crave companionship.
I enjoy the touch of a kind hand and the softness of a good bed. I want to be inside of the home with my family, not stuck on the end of a chain or alone in a kennel or fenced yard for hours on end. I was born to be a companion, not to live a life of solitude.
I get too cold and I get too hot. I experience hunger and thirst. I am a living creature, not a thing.
When you leave, I want to go with you. If I stay behind, I will eagerly await your return. I long for the sound of your voice. I will do most anything to please you. I live to be your treasured companion.
I am a dog. My actions are not dictated by money, greed, or hatred. I do not know prejudice. I live in the moment and am ruled by love and loyalty.
Do not mistake me for a mindless object. I can feel and I can think. I can experience more than physical pain, I can feel fear and joy. I can feel love and confusion. I have emotions. I understand perhaps more than you do. I am able to comprehend the words you speak to me, but you are not always able to understand me.
I am a dog. I am not able to care for myself without your help. If you choose to tie me up and refuse to feed me, I will starve. If you abandon me on a rural road, I will experience fear and loneliness. I will search for you and wonder why I have been left behind. I am not a piece of property to be dumped and forgotten.
If you choose to leave me at a shelter, I will be frightened and bewildered. I will watch for your return with every footfall that approaches my kennel run.
I am a dog - a living, breathing creature. If you choose to take me home, please provide me with the things that I need to keep me healthy and happy.
Provide me with good food, clean water, warm shelter and your love. Do not abandon me. Do not kick me. Do not dump me when your life gets too busy. Make a commitment to me for the entirety of my life, or do not take me home in the first place.
If you desert me, I do not have the means to care for myself. I am at the mercy of the kindness of people - if I fall into the wrong hands, my life will be ruined.
I will experience pain, fear and loneliness. If I wind up in an animal shelter, I have only my eyes to implore someone to save me, and my tail to show you that I am a friend. If that is not good enough, I will die.
I am a dog. I want to give and receive love. I want to live. I am not a thing. I am not a piece of property. Please do not discard me. Please treat me with kindness, love and respect. I promise to repay you with unconditional love for as long as I live.
Recently came across this editorial, which basically says the same thing as that story about the dog. It's a great reminder how pets are at our mercy and it's such a big responsibility and a privilege to be a pet owner.
I Am A Dog, Not A Thing
I am a dog. I am a living, breathing animal. I feel pain, joy, love, fear and pleasure.
I am not a thing. If I am hit - I will bruise, I will bleed, I will break. I will feel pain. I am not a thing.
I am a dog. I enjoy playtime, walk time, but more than anything, I enjoy time with my pack - my family - my people. I want nothing more than to be by the side of my human. I want to sleep where you sleep and walk where you walk. I am a dog and I feel love...I crave companionship.
I enjoy the touch of a kind hand and the softness of a good bed. I want to be inside of the home with my family, not stuck on the end of a chain or alone in a kennel or fenced yard for hours on end. I was born to be a companion, not to live a life of solitude.
I get too cold and I get too hot. I experience hunger and thirst. I am a living creature, not a thing.
When you leave, I want to go with you. If I stay behind, I will eagerly await your return. I long for the sound of your voice. I will do most anything to please you. I live to be your treasured companion.
I am a dog. My actions are not dictated by money, greed, or hatred. I do not know prejudice. I live in the moment and am ruled by love and loyalty.
Do not mistake me for a mindless object. I can feel and I can think. I can experience more than physical pain, I can feel fear and joy. I can feel love and confusion. I have emotions. I understand perhaps more than you do. I am able to comprehend the words you speak to me, but you are not always able to understand me.
I am a dog. I am not able to care for myself without your help. If you choose to tie me up and refuse to feed me, I will starve. If you abandon me on a rural road, I will experience fear and loneliness. I will search for you and wonder why I have been left behind. I am not a piece of property to be dumped and forgotten.
If you choose to leave me at a shelter, I will be frightened and bewildered. I will watch for your return with every footfall that approaches my kennel run.
I am a dog - a living, breathing creature. If you choose to take me home, please provide me with the things that I need to keep me healthy and happy.
Provide me with good food, clean water, warm shelter and your love. Do not abandon me. Do not kick me. Do not dump me when your life gets too busy. Make a commitment to me for the entirety of my life, or do not take me home in the first place.
If you desert me, I do not have the means to care for myself. I am at the mercy of the kindness of people - if I fall into the wrong hands, my life will be ruined.
I will experience pain, fear and loneliness. If I wind up in an animal shelter, I have only my eyes to implore someone to save me, and my tail to show you that I am a friend. If that is not good enough, I will die.
I am a dog. I want to give and receive love. I want to live. I am not a thing. I am not a piece of property. Please do not discard me. Please treat me with kindness, love and respect. I promise to repay you with unconditional love for as long as I live.
I love this! I think my dog loves me more than anyone else in the entire world. Dogs are so special. It makes me sick that anyone could mistreat or "get rid" of an animal. Dogs are better than people will ever be.
Recently came across this editorial, which basically says the same thing as that story about the dog. It's a great reminder how pets are at our mercy and it's such a big responsibility and a privilege to be a pet owner.
I Am A Dog, Not A Thing
I am a dog. I am a living, breathing animal. I feel pain, joy, love, fear and pleasure.
I am not a thing. If I am hit - I will bruise, I will bleed, I will break. I will feel pain. I am not a thing.
I am a dog. I enjoy playtime, walk time, but more than anything, I enjoy time with my pack - my family - my people. I want nothing more than to be by the side of my human. I want to sleep where you sleep and walk where you walk. I am a dog and I feel love...I crave companionship.
I enjoy the touch of a kind hand and the softness of a good bed. I want to be inside of the home with my family, not stuck on the end of a chain or alone in a kennel or fenced yard for hours on end. I was born to be a companion, not to live a life of solitude.
I get too cold and I get too hot. I experience hunger and thirst. I am a living creature, not a thing.
When you leave, I want to go with you. If I stay behind, I will eagerly await your return. I long for the sound of your voice. I will do most anything to please you. I live to be your treasured companion.
I am a dog. My actions are not dictated by money, greed, or hatred. I do not know prejudice. I live in the moment and am ruled by love and loyalty.
Do not mistake me for a mindless object. I can feel and I can think. I can experience more than physical pain, I can feel fear and joy. I can feel love and confusion. I have emotions. I understand perhaps more than you do. I am able to comprehend the words you speak to me, but you are not always able to understand me.
I am a dog. I am not able to care for myself without your help. If you choose to tie me up and refuse to feed me, I will starve. If you abandon me on a rural road, I will experience fear and loneliness. I will search for you and wonder why I have been left behind. I am not a piece of property to be dumped and forgotten.
If you choose to leave me at a shelter, I will be frightened and bewildered. I will watch for your return with every footfall that approaches my kennel run.
I am a dog - a living, breathing creature. If you choose to take me home, please provide me with the things that I need to keep me healthy and happy.
Provide me with good food, clean water, warm shelter and your love. Do not abandon me. Do not kick me. Do not dump me when your life gets too busy. Make a commitment to me for the entirety of my life, or do not take me home in the first place.
If you desert me, I do not have the means to care for myself. I am at the mercy of the kindness of people - if I fall into the wrong hands, my life will be ruined.
I will experience pain, fear and loneliness. If I wind up in an animal shelter, I have only my eyes to implore someone to save me, and my tail to show you that I am a friend. If that is not good enough, I will die.
I am a dog. I want to give and receive love. I want to live. I am not a thing. I am not a piece of property. Please do not discard me. Please treat me with kindness, love and respect. I promise to repay you with unconditional love for as long as I live.
I love this! I think my dog loves me more than anyone else in the entire world. Dogs are so special. It makes me sick that anyone could mistreat or "get rid" of an animal. Dogs are better than people will ever be.
You got that right, strawberry! My Mickey is so precious to me. He gives me all the unconditional love I could ever ask for and all he asks for in return is food, shelter and love back. He is my pal.
Anyone can "get" a dog or a cat or a gerbil....takes someone special to "care" for an animal. Too few of these as evidenced by the populations in the shelters. I didn't think your story "too long"...just too sad. Especially when you recently lost a beloved pet. But thanks very much for sharing this.
instead of coming up with lame excuses, you should just admit that you're a crappy person that got a pet without taking into consideration the responsibility that a pet requires. There's a good a reason.
instead of coming up with lame excuses, you should just admit that you're a crappy person that got a pet without taking into consideration the responsibility that a pet requires. There's a good a reason.
Just who is this for? This thread has people who agree with you posting about a sad essay. Maybe read it again before insulting people!
~snip~
10) Moving.where is this land of no pets allowed?
~snip~
Quote:
Originally Posted by surfingatwork
I can't decide which one is my favorite but i'm leaning towards 10. no pets allowed land (my mom would move there in a heart beat).
Have you not heard of pet-restricted condos and rentals? Many allow no pets at all. Almost all have restrictions on the number of pets. There are landlords and condo associations that won't allow pets at all, or have a one-pet limit (even if the one pet is a bird or gerbil), and weight restrictions and breed restrictions. I've never seen a condo association that allows more than two pets.
And if you say, well, just don't live in a place like that, you're either extremely lucky to have family and friends who have never suffered a loss, or haven't lived long enough to see what can happen.
People lose their homes for financial reasons - many due to medical bills or job loss - and need to rent. Others lose their health and can no longer keep up with a house/yard, and hiring out the work is too expensive (often much more than monthly condo fees). Some people can no longer drive and need to move to an area with public transportation and/or goods and services within walking distance, which translates to moving into an area where single-family houses are nonexistent or too expensive and the only option is a condo or apartment.
You can blame the pet haters and irresponsible pet owners for this situation. It's heartbreaking.
Someone in Florida left their great dane wandering my mother's street on his own. The poor dog was so sweet and just wanted attention. My mother (who is normally afraid of large dogs) picked up her confidence and approached the dog. He had a collar and had the owner's address on it. She walked him to his owner's house and knocked on the door. A man opened the door. My mother told him his dog was wondering the streets someone could steal him or he could get lost. The man just said "you can do what you want with him. I don't want him here." My mother called the animal shelter. How could a person just leave his dog wandering around like that? That dog was so sweet and young too. Didn't it occur to him to bring the dog to a shelter? Some shelters are no-kill, and they'd LOVE to have a sweet purebred great dane! Even a shelter gives the dog a chance at a new, more acceptable home. I don't live where my mother lives and my husband is extremely afraid of great danes (specifically, as he was bitten by one as a child), so I couldn't take him. I almost took my step-brother's Belgium Malinois who was a very large dog, but my husband had a good experience with her despite the incredible fear he had of her at first. But, my step-brother decided to keep her and hope that his fear was unfounded. He was afraid of how she'd react to a new baby. Turned out, she made a wonderful big sister to the new member of the family. Thank goodness he didn't abandon her somewhere. He was considering it briefly at one point.
I found a tall, beautiful, brindle terrier...possibly a staffordshire with nothing but a tagless, small, chain collar around his neck. Obviously young, maybe 1 years old, and very sweet. My dog (a German shepard mix), at the time was afraid of other dogs (large hyper dogs like this dog, or any small dog since she was bitten by a dachshund puppy). I was too afraid of how they'd behave around each other, and I didn't want a fight to break out. My dog did not take kindly to any normal doggy greeting of sniffing her rear end. I decided he needed to go to a shelter. I tried all the no-kill shelters around, including the one I worked at at the time. No go. I didn't know the ASPCA in the city near me went no-kill, or I'd have tried there. I had to send him to a regular shelter. It killed me to do that. I regret not trying to keep him, but I'd like to believe he found a home.
When I worked as a receptionist at an animal hospital, a guy got rid of an eight week old Chihuahua puppy because it couldn't jog with him. Yes, I am completely serious.
One "friend" said to me (about my wire hair dachshund, the love of my life) "why don't you get a real dog?" The same "friend" didn't see why I was so upset when she told me about her daughter's dog, and since her daughter couldn't take care of it anymore, she just let it out of the apartment.... Imagine my reaction now.. I said to her Why didn't you take it to the Shelter?!?!? Any HUMAN BEING would do that... and my 'friend' said to me, well then the Shelter would have her name and she's never be able to get another dog there!!
EXACTLY my point! People like this don't deserve pets!!
My dachsie is part of our family... he even won over my hubby with his cuteness and little dog bit attitude.
There needs to be a series of tests that one must pass, along with proof of financial stability and psychological evaluation before one is allowed to own any living thing as pets/companion, akin to having children. Both are not a right, but a privilege, and until we have the courage to do this, there will always be the huge number of cases of child and animal abuse.
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Wow you are a ****ty person
Many places have pet restrictions
Imagine my reaction now.. I said to her Why didn't you take it to the Shelter?!?!? Any HUMAN BEING would do that... and my 'friend' said to me, well then the Shelter would have her name and she's never be able to get another dog there!!
