A dog is not a person

Okay, I know this thread has been drug on and on.. but I have to put my opinion in here.
 
My dogs and cats are my children and I would do whatever I had to do to make sure they are comfortable and well cared for. In fact I am having some seriouis financial problems right now and due to miscalculations on my part my bank account is showing almost $500 negative right now. After one morning of listening to my cats cry because they were out of food and watching myself pour the last of the dog food in the bowls this morning.. I swallowed my pride and crying my eyes out called my mom and asked to borrow enough money to buy my fur kids some food... didn't ask for the gas money I need, or the groceries I need... but wanted to be sure my babies are taken care of.. the rest will work itself out. I had to buy a brand of dog food I don't normally buy but they have food in their bellies tonight.
 
When it came to my pets, I didn't hesitate to ask for help while the phone is ringing off the hook with bill collectors. I can handle the phone ringing, ignore it, shut it off.. etc... but I took these pets in and they are MY responsibility and to me hearing them cry they were hungry would be equal to a mother hearing her child cry and knowing there was nothing to feed them.
 
 

I like my classic car but I dont love it. If my car dies I will shoot it and buy me another possession.

 
I didn't read all the posts..seemed to me that many people posted really good thoughts. BUT this is just wrong..you shouldn't be allowed to own a classic car!
 
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jartzh-what is this question you have about your dog...what's wrong with it? let us try to help.......

before you go all postal again about us "loving our dogs too much".......

ORIGINAL: jartzh
Does everyone on this list realize that dogs are not people?  Wouldnt everyone be happier with their pet if they didnt humanize it?  It makes me sick when I see a person that wont put their sick old dog down because it would be too upsetting.  So they let it just lay around and suffer and slowly die. If they considered it a pet that they are responsibile for then maybe they would think of it instead of their own selfishness.

 
omg!  you mean to tell me my dogs didn't need to be educated at obidence school or that buying sweaters for them was needless.  i didn't realize i was sharing my home with dogs!!!  i thought of them as humans wearing fur...
 
seriously...i like my dogs better than i do some people.  and i worry about them getting hurt and i cry when they die.  i am an animal lover and think that if you are going to share your life with a pet you need to treat that pet with love and respect.
if you are not going to provide necessities and love to a pet than that pet should belong to someone else.

I think the OP has left the building, which doesn't hurt my feelings. But I think this thread has still been valuable as a place for us to describe just what our dogs mean to us.
 

All I can say is what a gift this girls been to me.  I always wanted a dog but had no idea just how much love and emotion that would entail until she got here.  And, the way she loves me, what an incredible thing to have the love of an animal like that.  People disappoint me pretty often but not my dog.

ORIGINAL: jartzh

I have a dog, rabbits, & parrot. The rabbits run in the backyard with the dog.  I like them but dont love them.  I like my classic car but I dont love it.  If my car dies I will shoot it and buy me another possession.  Same thing with my pets.

Think of it this way:  Hurricane JOSE hits and youre stuck in your attic with your kids and your dog. Which do you kill to feed the others? Of course its a stupid question because a dog is not a person.

I hope you treat your dogs, rabbits and parrots well!
Please be aware that dogs have the mentality of a 3 year old...they learn..they feel..they love..they hate...they get embarressed..yep, its all been scientifically proven and there is no denying it.

As for your parrot...what kind of parrot is he/she? Parrots have an even greater mentality than dogs...of a 6 year old child..some even higher..they can reason, think, even do math..they are extremely intelligent and affectionate and need LOTS of LOVE, TIME, and affection..as well as mental and physical stimulation. I pray to God you are not one of those people that locks it up in a cage 24/7 and just gives it food and water and think you've done your job for the day...I really really pray that's not the case!

Anyways..I don't like the way you think..I personally believe people like you shouldn't and don't need to have animals in their lives...they deserve better...the animals that is