I had not witnessed it before`- dumping pets - and I've never forgotten it. I then assumed it was an Australian thing. Since then, of course, I have learnt it is a world wide practice.
Faithful dogs wait and wait for owners to come back. They get hurt or killed by traffic or cruel people, they can die of thirst and hunger, cold or heat. If not rescued by compassionate people they can end up being murdered by animal control police.
There is nothing more faithful and loving than a dog. Their love is unconditional. You are their world and they accept you with all your faults to the end. When you accept a dog you take on a new member of the family, just like a son or daughter, and you are honour bound to care, respect and protect the dog as it does you. If you don't you have no honour and certainly do not deserve respect.
One way the abandonment of dogs ( and other pets) can be avoided is not to buy them without first seriously thinking about the responsibility and what is involved.
In fact, don't buy pets as presents unless you are sure the pet will be properly cared for as long as it lives.
Pets bought on a whim as presents usually end up dumped and dead. The purchase needs careful and humane consideration because a creature's life can be at stake.
Sure a pretty kitten or playful puppy is initially a big hit with a family but they can also become a nuisance when it comes to cleaning up after them or repairing the damage they can cause in a home.
Who is actually going to care for the pet – clean it, clean it's mess, walk it, feed it, tolerate its howling and most of all love it? Who is going to be its carer for all the years it lives?
Once the novelty wears off many pets are simply dumped by their new owners. They usually end up in animal shelters and if nobody buys them after a certain period they are killed.
Others simply roam the streets or countryside and get run over by traffic, starve to death or get captured for laboratories to experiment with.
Pets are not toys. They are living creatures with needs and feelings. A proper relationship with a pet is a life long one and needs a responsible and humane approach
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| The love and devotion of a dog is constant and eternal |
