Dear Mom and Dad,

[font=Arial,Helvetica,Sans Serif]Sent: 11/4/2005 1:46 PM[/font][font=Arial,Helvetica,Sans Serif]

Dear Mom and Dad,
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I died today. You got tired of me and took me to the shelter. They were overcrowded and I drew an unlucky number. I am in a black plastic bag in a landfill now. Some other puppy will get the barely used leash you left. My collar was dirty and too small, but the lady took it off before she sent me to the great beyond.

Would I still be at home if I hadn't chewed your shoe? I didn't know what it was, but it was leather, and it was on the floor. I was just playing. You forgot to get puppy toys.

Would I still be at home if I had been housebroken? Rubbing my nose in what I did only made me ashamed that I had to go at all. There are books and obedience teachers that would have taught you how to teach me to go to the door.

Would I still be at home if I hadn't brought fleas into the house? Without anti-flea medicine, I couldn't get them off of me after you left me in the yard for days.

Would I still be at home if I hadn't barked? I was only saying, "I'm scared, I'm lonely, I'm here! I want to be your best friend."

Would I still be at home if I had made you happy? Hitting me didn't make me learn how.

Would I still be at home if you had taken the time to care for me and to teach manners to me? You didn't pay attention to me after the first week or so, but I spent all my time waiting for you to love me. I died today. Love,
Your Puppy

-author unknown-

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ahhhhhhhhhh! I have all may animals at my side right now!

 

awww that is so sad

 

truth hurts don't it,, dam it ,knew better than read that

 

Thats strong.

 

dangggg that made me go hug my pits all over again even mom's cat that doesnt let me type

 

aww, that made me wanna cry.

 

My heart is to big and soft fo stuff like that.

 

Know what I got from this thread.... Bunch of people who don't want to see or hear about dogs having to be put down because of over crowded shelters, are the same people who would rather buy a pitbull with some silly paper that says their parents names on it.

Hmmmm.

Good post Suki. Hopefully some will get what I got from it.

 

Depressing, but true.

Makes me feel better for having rescues =)

 

There should be one question you ask yourself when you get a pup," Can I live with this dog for the next14+ years?" This poem is sweet but I would euth a dog myself before ever taking it to a pound or h.s.

 

Same here. I take responsibility for my choices. I used to sit on the other side of the desk when people dropped their pets off. I felt it was my solemn duty to make them feel like shite before they left. I would describe exactly what would happen to their pet, no sugar coating it. What comes around, goes around. Karma can suck for some. I feel that if you drop off a pet at the shelter you should be banned from owning animals for the rest off your life.

 

Damn, what a horrible letter right here at Christmas time.

 

sorry....
but sadly, people buy pets for other people "as gifts", without serious consideration for the recepients, if that "gift" will in fact, REALLY be wanted, AND taken care of for the next 15 years...
didn't mean to bum anyone out, but, if you've had to assist in a euthanisia, truly, it sux!
So, this was meant to be more of a thought provoking post=to think BEFORE you buy.
sorry for the timing...

 

haven't been on line for a few, but, just found this on another site. It's in keeping with what I was just thinking...

The Christmas Puppy
Why you shouldn't get one.
By Jon Katz
Posted Friday, Dec. 16, 2005, at 6:09 AM ET



Christmas morning. Jimmy and Susie rush down the stairs in their pj's and shriek with delight. Santa has finally yielded to their incessant requests: A sweet, wriggling puppy is waiting for them beneath the tree, adorable in his big red bow. It's love at first sight. The puppy slurps the kids' faces then curls up on their laps. The children beam. The camcorder rolls.

This could be a mess.

Even if your kids don't pester you all year for a dog, which they probably did, TV ad campaigns and treacly movies will make sure you can picture how lovely it would be to bring a puppy home for the holidays. Don't succumb.

Why is a Christmas dog a mistake?

First, because no animal should be a surprise. The arrival of a dog changes a household considerably—for years. Someone has to take responsibility for their daily needs—feeding, exercise, health care, grooming. The decision should be thought about, talked about, negotiated. A new dog, not necessarily a puppy, either, should be the result of a process, not an impulse.

Kids can be unreliable; kids change. The puppy melts their hearts for a few days or weeks. But then it needs to be walked every day (in the rain). It needs careful attention to its feeding and eliminating if it's going to be housebroken effectively. It needs to be taught not to jump on Grandma. The kids oohing and aahing under the tree will soon move on to IMing and texting their friends. Few children outside of 4-H programs and Future Farmers of America want to be tied down to conscientious animal care, and their parents are often no more enthusiastic. Reality will soon supersede the Christmas morning fantasy.

The bigger problem with the Christmas pup is that good dogs are usually unavailable for holiday giving. Hardly any ethical dog provider will support the idea of a dog as a surprise present. Good breeders have carefully constructed breeding programs that are rarely tied to the idea of seasonal gifts, unless arrangements have been made with people they know well far in advance. Breeders don't want their dogs to end up in households where nobody understands the work involved in raising them. Experienced rescue group volunteers and shelter workers hate the whole idea of the Christmas dog because they know many of those dogs will be coming back to them.

The dogs that are readily available at Christmas are the kind you probably don't want. Puppy mills grind out thousands of puppies to meet holiday demand. They're the dogs you find in pet stores and malls—cute as puppies but often inbred, poorly socialized, and more prone to genetic health problems like allergies or bad hips or to behavioral difficulties like compulsive barking or chewing.

For Christmas, get the kid an Xbox 360, or an iPod. They'll love it and use it. You don't have to clean up after it, and if they lose interest, you won't have to walk it in the middle of a snowstorm.

If you and your family really want a dog, choose it carefully, and take your time. Get one from a reputable breeder, an experienced rescue group, or an established animal shelter. Ask lots of questions about the dog; expect the breeder or staff to ask you a lot, too. If they don't, be wary. A store clerk or amateur breeder who simply hands you a dog in exchange for your credit card is not your friend. Experienced dog people know the dogs they sell and the people they are selling them to. And don't worry if the dog comes to you in April instead of on Christmas morning. It will be just as adorable without the tree and the bow.

 

I hate how every one makes out people who want a dog for christmas to be an evil person. I bugged my parents for a LONG time when I was 10 for a dog and they kept saying we'll see. They bought me a dog for my birthday and I took good care of the dog. I trained her and fed her. She is still with us today she is 14 years old. I just recently got a puppy who was a gift from my bf. He asked what I wanted for christmas and I said a puppy. We went together and he let me pick her out. we got her earlier than was planned but it doesnt matter. I have clients who also have recieved dogs as gifts and guess what they still have them. ( I have been working with dogs for 8 years so this is over an 8 year period) Granted YES some people DON'T think it through but saying everyone who gets the kids a puppy is irresponsible is as bad as saying all pit bulls are vicious. Don't paint everyone with the same brush.

 

"Everybody"????
no one is saying that here.....
and, "Evil"?????
not the point of the message, at all....
It's the element of "suprise" that's the subject of debate. Your dog, as mentioned was not given as a "suprise". You mentioned that you picked it out together.
Reread the post. It's about the pup that is given as a suprise=hence, "unplanned" for. No one is knocking you here....

 

At a seminar I went to we learned that the statistics are very good for pets that are given as pets (I mean they stay with the family or person long term and have a good life) The people who drop their animals off distance themselves from the pet a month or so before they actually bring them in and that is why they appear uncaring.
The ones who don't care drop the animals off at the cemetary or the forest, believe me that is common enough. I had to turn my dogs over to an animal rescue a little over a year ago and know that I had to do it and that they are in great hands now, I am happy for them. It was horrible but I certainly deserve to own animals again. I also believe in karma and the fact that I loved those animals so much probably helped them to get the kind of homes they deserved, one of my dogs stays in his new owners office while she works and takes plane rides! Another lives in a luxurious hotel that her owners own. Thank God. Another one is with a friend who has a kennel, not so glamorous, he was my favorite and he offerred to ship him to me if ever I am able to keep him. I miss them.

 

I couldn't imagine getting rid of a dog. Ever.

When I got my first, I cried the day I got her because I didn't want her to ever die! lol

Sometimes I still do that! Pathetic huh?

 

"Sometimes I still do that! Pathetic huh?"

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nope! In my book, I call it 'having a heart'!