A dog is not a person

I am not making a dime off this.   Wish I was.  I am just trying to get a point across.   I am sickened by the behavior of my neighbors who let their dogs suffer & die because they didnt have the heart to put the poor beast down.  If you consider them an animal and not a member of the family then maybe its easier to make rational decisions about quality of life.
 
Not trying to upset everyone, just maybe trigger a thought.  Everyone who buys an animal will have to make very hard decisions at some point for the benefit of that animal .
 
Have to go now, the school bus is here.

Those of us who love our dogs enough will never let them linger because we KNOW that the greatest and most loving gift we can give them is to let, or help, them go peacefully to the Bridge.

It is quite obvious to me that you, jartzh, summed up your viewpoint by stating that your animals are merely possessions, same as your truck.
 
Maybe you are the same person someone spoke of in another thread who really only liked puppies, then dumped them when they got out of the puppy stage, and then got another puppy.  You can't make an emotional attachment.
 
I understand that you are trying to make the point not to let the dog suffer when they are ailing.  As someone who recently had to, it is not easy.  It is almost as if one is playing God, deciding if the animal should live or die.  Imagine for a minute how shelter workers feel, making that type of decision daily or weekly, on young healthy animals.   Do you feel the same indifference to those who have been thrown away? 
 
If dogs were still wild, nature would cull the old and sick because they would not keep up with the pack, be able to fight for food, escape prey.  However, because dogs are companion animals, we sometimes have to make a decision to help them out of their misery.  Perhaps your opinion is skewed because you have not faced that yet.

ORIGINAL: jartzh

I am not making a dime off this.   Wish I was.  I am just trying to get a point across.   I am sickened by the behavior of my neighbors who let their dogs suffer & die because they didnt have the heart to put the poor beast down.  If you consider them an animal and not a member of the family then maybe its easier to make rational decisions about quality of life.

Not trying to upset everyone, just maybe trigger a thought.  Everyone who buys an animal will have to make very hard decisions at some point for the benefit of that animal .

Have to go now, the school bus is here.

 
Jartzh, For your information I have been there done that and have had to put some of my animals down due to their condition, I have not nor will I ever let an animal suffer that I own.  Yeah, maybe it upset you about your neighbors but it wasn't your animal.  Its not your business what your neighbors decide to do about their dog and unless you can speak to them kindly and explain that it would be a better thing to put the dog down then let it be.  I have known people who have held on to their animals too long but it was not my place to tell them what to do. Do as you need for your own....but till you have to make the difficult decision and let the brain rule your heart...you haven't a clue how hard it is to make that decision and have to deal with it.  I know humanely putting down some of my pets was the best thing for them.  You have come across extremely calous and seem as though you do not care for your animals since you refer to them as possessions.  My animals are not my possessions they are my companion pets...I do give them the best of care I can and I do not let them suffer.  I think you need to rethink your views on animals as possessions...It wasn't fun this last January when I had to put my dog down so he would not suffer.  I also didn't hurry to "replace my possession".  I waited until I was ready to have another dog in my life and I found one I liked. 

Jartzh,  Some of your last post makes sense to me.  Yes, as owners of animals we have to make decisions that effect their lives every day.  I think that is the reason MOST people consider their pets as more than "just a dog, cat, bird etc." Their entire well being depends on their human mom or dad.  I understand your anger at your neighbors for letting their pets suffer but to desensitize (sp) yourselve into looking at animals as "possessions" is not the answer. Also to generalize everyone here into that category was wrong.  

Have to go now, the school bus is here.

 
that's says it all.
At some point in your life you will understand that living creatures can't be put into the same category as your classic car. A car is thing, an animal is not a thing.
It lives, it requires things other than fuel and oil to live and run.
I have never hesitated to let an ill pet go. It is the compassionate thing to do. My parents have even left me in charge of their Living Will cause they know I won't hesitate to have done what they have wanted done.
I don't put my animals in the same light as my sons, but my sons are also grown up and don't require the care from me they used to. But I sure wouldn't leave my animals behind in a nature disaster either. Leave them behind for someone else to deal with...wouldn't happen. THEY ARE MY RESPONSIBILITY and not one I take lightly. But I know they are animals.

It's obvious, this is a kid, with nothing to do but try and get some people going. Come back in about 10 years (maybe more) and we'll see where you stand. You have a little growing up to do.

ORIGINAL: gaylemarie

LMAO.

are dogs really not people? i always wondered about all the fur, but i thought maybe he was just german like my husband.

 
LOL, I love this!

It annoys me when people say "Oh, he's just a kid, that explains it." Age shouldn't have THAT much to do with whether someone is a total DONKEY or not. Don't give them that excuse. They're still people. And let's say this kid is 15, if he is in fact a kid, I sure didn't act like that when I was 15! But people treated me like crap when I was 15, because they expected me to act like this kid, and didn't give me the chance to NOT. What I'm saying is all kids don't act like this, and to excuse them, or think you understand their behavior better because they're young, I think makes you expect it from all kids. And it makes some kids think they might as well act like that, because they're expected to. At least, that's been my experience...

ORIGINAL: chelsea_b

It annoys me when people say "Oh, he's just a kid, that explains it." Age shouldn't have THAT much to do with whether someone is a total DONKEY or not. Don't give them that excuse. They're still people. And let's say this kid is 15, if he is in fact a kid, I sure didn't act like that when I was 15! But people treated me like crap when I was 15, because they expected me to act like this kid, and didn't give me the chance to NOT. What I'm saying is all kids don't act like this, and to excuse them, or think you understand their behavior better because they're young, I think makes you expect it from all kids. And it makes some kids think they might as well act like that, because they're expected to. At least, that's been my experience...

I agree. I've been acting like an adult since I was about 10. And it was rather fusterating to be considered a child. And my brother is 15 and he would never act like this kid.   I've noticed that people can act like complete fools at any age.

Although we don't like to hear what some people say, some good stuff came up in this thread.  Also, some jokes that were rather cute. 
 
Some people dabble in trolling back I think. Lol.

I believe most everyone on this forum, myself included, prefers the company of their pets to the company of some (maybe most) humans

Well said!

don't consider that humanizing our pets. I call that being human

 
I think you hit upon something there. Maybe it is a natural human trait to "humanize" other things and animals. And it makes wonder if our dogs "doggyize" us.
 

Hurricane JOSE hits and youre stuck in your attic

 
I would do like people in Florida do. Listen to the hurricane warning, pack up my stuff, family, and pets, and skedaddle out of there. So, I wouldn't be in an attic, at all. I've also been known to outrun tornados, which I am more likely to encounter than a hurricane.

Next year I will finish up at A&M and get my Vet license to make money off your lovies.
Havent had the compassion class yet.

 
I was going to say, obviously you haven't had the compassion training. But I doubt your actually in graduate school for DVM. Such people are way too busy studying their butt off and working to stir up crap on a dog forum. A real DVM has compassion, naturally. When my cat was first diagnosed at 16 with diminished kidney function, I asked my vet if he thought she should go to sleep. He's the one who held off on it. So, I'm just not getting your calloused vet routine.
 
You look so big and tough behind that keyboard.