this made me FURIOUS...

Did anyone else write a shirty letter to the editor?

Click on the writers name under the article headline and it comes up with a form to write your letter in.

I think true dog lovers everywhere should give this woman a piece of their minds.....

[:@][:@][:@][:@][:@][:@]
 
ETA I loved this reader comment:
 

  
My husband and I appreciate your honesty but we are also saddened to read of your experience with your basset. We are owned by one who is well trained, well loved, and well exercised so we do not share your problems. They are smart, sweet, loveable and loyal. I just hope your daughter receives more attention and life training and less spoiling than the basset received from you. When he is gone I am sure you will realize the love he has for you is unconditional and only then will you understand the love you so easily dismiss. Don't be surprised if after he has passed you hear the clicking of his nails following behind you. Your world now excludes him from your love but not so for him. Stay safe and may your relationships grow to accomondate all in your life.

That article, unfortunately, probably echoes the sentiments of many people out there. I agree with free speach, however, that woman needs a strong swift kick up the as*!!!!! That poor dog! I'd rather see her take the time to find a loving home where he's loved, walked, kissed, snuggled, layed with......all the things we dog lovers do every day! Everyone knows when they aren't wanted - even animals!

Just wait until the kid slams the door in her face and tells her "I HATE YOU!" Just wait until the first time that kid sneaks out. Just wait until she finds pills in her 16 year old's room and realizes that despite that serious sex talk, her daughter is, in fact, screwing her 20 year old trouble making, loser, high school drop out boyfriend ( and she can't tell her not to because then she'll just want to do it more).

And don't forget all those lovely lines teenagers spit out at their parents: "It's YOUR house-why do I have to help clean it?" "Why can't I have a car? ALL my friends have cars!" "Your my parents--it's you JOB to buy me Ambercrombie and Fitch!"

She'll be begging for her top annoyances to be dog hair and an occasional poop by the time age 18 rolls around.......

 
 
[sm=rofl.gif]  
[sm=censored.gif] @#$$^^(&#%%^  what a way to degrade a dog  and dog lovers its like shes making fun of us "dog lovers would call it unconditional love...."ugghhh this just makes me soooo angry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!she'll definitley be missing him following her when her teenage daughter hates her for the last few years before she leaves off to college (i hope)

I don't understand this myself.

I love my kids to bits, but we decided to get our cats (Maggie and Cleo) and Tuck our puppy all after having our kids and we love them all so much.
I pamper the kids and my other babies.
I let Tuck on the sofas, whats the worse that can happen? they might get dirty if he jumps up with dirty paws, so what, i'll wipe the sofa so it's clean.
Im always the first up so i always make sure if he has messed in the living room i clean it up and mop the floors before the kids go in, i mop the floors anyway so whats the big deal???
I have always thought it is good for kids to grow up with animals, i think it's so they don't grow up scared of them and i also think it makes them better people a lot more thoughtful and loving to all living things.
Katria who's 4 loves to feed Tuck, Cleo and Maggie and says she wants to be a animal doctor when she grows up.
I feel really sorry for her dog, he must feel so unloved and very confused.
This is a picture of Alina my youngest with Tuck. (if it works)

For all of you who feel sorry for this dog, there are a lot of other dogs out there more deserving of your sympathies. He's not abused or neglected. This is an older dog, with a permanent loving home he's been in since puppyhood and will be in until he dies and he has a devoted owner who accepts him for who he is when many other people would have dumped him by now.

Did everyone see the second article this woman wrote?

ORIGINAL: rwbeagles

Sometimes a good dressing down can have a good effect on a person! But, maybe now she'll keep her dog related rants private LOL!

 
I guess it depends on WHY she wrote it. Was she really feeling all this---or did she amplify it for the essay? 
 
Try this on for size: 
She got an idea about a piece that folks can relate to (new baby comes and everyone adjusts especially the dog) applies it to her life, ramps the emotion and it is a hot essay. People get worked up. People go to the site or buy the magazine that usually don't.
 
I've read it a couple of  times and the seams show---I can almost see the insert marks where she's stuck the pieces together. Journalism 101: use specific examples, make it personal, insert humor in a few places [sm=blah2.gif]
 
Personally I thought the piece was cheap. Did she feel some of the things she described? Don't doubt it. Did she take it to the extreme for her paycheck? Absolutely.
 
But it was cheap. And not that well written.
 
[sm=2cents.gif]

When I was pregnant w/ DS#1, lots of people asked when we'd be getting rid of our pets (two cats and a dog).  My answer? "When they DIE and not a moment before!"

I will always have room in my heart for ALL kinds of kids--both the human and furry kind.  That's just the way I am.  Maybe others are not.

As for this woman, she's in BIG trouble if she thinks pile of poop on the floor is the worst thing out there!  Wait until her daughter is sixteen, wraps the car around a tree and informs Mom that she's pregnant vy a "cute drummer in a rock band"!

Just wait until the kid slams the door in her face and tells her "I HATE YOU!" Just wait until the first time that kid sneaks out.

I am amazed at kids these days.  When I was growing up, I would not have dared to say something like that to my parents.  And, frankly, the idea of sneaking out never once even entered my head when I was growing up.
 

And don't forget all those lovely lines teenagers spit out at their parents:  "It's YOUR house-why do I have to help clean it?"  "Why can't I have a car?  ALL my friends have cars!" 

I was the oldest of five (all born within 7 years).  I was certainly no angel, but my mom was so grateful for help cleaning up that I never thought about complaining about it.  She slipped a disk in her mid-30's and had constant back problems.
 
My dad got a car for me to use going to college, but the car still belonged to my dad.  That was made very clear and he also took care of the insurance, the repairs, and the gas.  Never had a car that was just mine until after I got divorced.
 
The "but everybody gets to" arguments were always met with "and, if everyone jumps off a cliff, are you going to follow them?".  That type of argument never got me anywhere, so I quickly stopped using it.
 
We didn't have many frills growing up, but my folks made it clear that, when it came time for college, there would be money available for it and there was - for all five of us.
 
Aside:  A friend of mine has a great trick for dealing with teenagers that do things like slam bedroom doors in their parent's faces.  The door comes off!
 
I dont want to derail this thread, if someone wants to discuss this more, start a thread under NDR.    [sm=backtotopic.gif]

I personally dont have kids(trying find out if i even can[X(]) but Jody is the first dog I've had on my own, excluding family pets and I love her to pieces. How could someone look at a dog of their own who they "loved" and then another member of the family comes along they look at it like their disgusted?!?! I am pretty sure thats what we consider our dogs, members of the family. How could you claim that you loved it that much in the first place?

ORIGINAL: lorib

When I was pregnant w/ DS#1, lots of people asked when we'd be getting rid of our pets (two cats and a dog).  My answer? "When they DIE and not a moment before!"

oh that made my blood boil too... my mother in law thought we would be better off if they all went to the pound because i would be less stressed with JUST the baby to take care of.... she doesnt know me at ALL.... i have to stay busy or i go nuts... and the way i stay busy is taking care of my pets, and sometimes other peoples pets... if i JUST had the baby.... i would die. i am one of a rare few that thinks raising babies is easy... but i grew up with tons of animals, tons of family of different ages, and tons of chaos. you do it all out of love... not to keep your stress levels down.
when i first met my husband - we were room mates first - his landlord didnt like dogs, so i couldnt have mine - they stayed with my mom and my cousins - but i could have my cat - and i didnt tell them about the rat.... i thought i would surely die from boredom.... that one year while living there is where i learned to garden, paint, and other things to keep from bouncing off the walls. to NOT have a dog is unimaginable for me.

and oh lord... when some of the hospital staff found out i was bringing my baby home to an American Bulldog... they nearly died of apoplexy.... i may as well have said "pet tiger"

wow that really is wrong i have 2 kids one is 6 years the other 5months and my dogs are still as much my babys as they were before i would never replace my dogs i have 2 human kids and my doggie kids they are  well cared for and spoiled 

many have posted regarding her story - some in support, some in outrage
 
here is my post to her:




Posted by [linkhttp://www.amitielsdoghouse.blogspot.com/]Amitiel[/link]
June 26, 2007

Not all people have the limited capacity of true love & caring for only 1 being at a time. I understand being tired, frustrated, and feeling the entire world is working against you. To all the Gods, I know I have been there! I think a private personal journal might have been the better place for your thoughts and rantings from the other piece. To make public your short-comings in caring will have others wondering if you are capable of caring for & nurturing the child you bore properly.
If you can not look at anything inside your home (the home itself included) without baring teeth and snarling then it is time to absent yourself from that thing, to place the care of that thing in someone-else's possibly more capable hands.
Your piece has stirred the heart-strings on many both in your defense and against.

You were nicer than I would have been!

ORIGINAL: rexandbaby

You were nicer than I would have been!

 
inspired by posts from rwbeagles

What annoys me about the 2nd article, is that even though she makes it clear she plans on keeping and caring for the dog as long as he is living, she still thinks of him as a pain in her patootie.

When she says no one will take him from her, I thought of a jealous ex-boyfriend: if I can't have her, then nobody can kind of attitude.