To All the Dog-Dumpers: Stop Your Whining! (part 1)

There are genuine cases of hardship where a family may have to give up a pet for genuine reasons, where rehousing is for the good of the pet.  But for those involved in animal-rescue it is difficult to sympathize when we hear the same whining and complaining over and over again.

This was highlighted when, as one of the administrators for the Pet Rescue North Facebook page, I was posting a rescue “plea” at the same time that our friends at River City Community Animal Hospital were posting the same “plea”.  As a volunteer rather than an employee, I tend to try and maintain a degree of objectivity and diplomacy when posting on behalf of the shelter; I simply incorporated the content of the original e-mail without comment. I may sit and fume and perhaps throw the occasional ornament or two, but I tend to say nothing on these posts.  Fortunately, RCCAH did not have the same qualms, and they stated exactly what I was thinking (find their comments here).

As they point out, this particular plea contains all the usual keywords and phrases pointing to allergies and problems facing their children. These excuses serve only one purpose: to assuage the guilt of the animal-dumper.  They are a blatant attempt to evade responsibility for their actions by subliminally placing the pet in the role of the guilty party and portraying the family as the victim! By making these excuses the animal-dumper attempts to minimize damage to their reputation and social standing.

So, when approaching an animal-rescue organization with a plea to take your pet off your hands, don’t be surprised if you are met with a lack of sympathy.  We have heard it all before. We will help but we are not helping you, we are helping the animals . . . we are helping them find a home with someone who will appreciate them, with someone who will not try to get rid of them at the first sign of difficulty.

Oh, and one more thing . . . stop your whining!