For Poor Families, an Added Burden of Too Many Pets

[shireen]

Source: New York Times

SELMER, Tenn. — Phillip Swetman is an accidental owner of 13 dogs. Most, Mr. Swetman said, came from “drive-bys.”

“They hear a dog bark and they throw theirs in the ditch,” he said. “Then for us, it’s either let them starve or get hit by a car, or take them in.”

Midnight dumping of unwanted dogs is common here on the southern tail of the Appalachian Mountains, where large numbers of poor people are attached to multiple pets but cannot afford to sterilize or vaccinate them, and where impoverished county governments do not maintain animal shelters, require licensing or enforce requirements for rabies shots.

The combination of pets and poverty, veterinary experts say, brings similar results to many rural areas: unhealthy conditions for oversized animal populations, desperate efforts by often-overwhelmed individuals to help and a lurking threat to human health.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/30/us/30dogs.html

---

There are some really kind compassionate people, living in poverty, who are trying to help abandoned pets. If you can spare a few bucks, please send it to the Humane Society's "Support Rural Area Veterinary Services" at https://secure.hsus.org/01/RAVS

Please keep it K&R, to get more attention and $$$ for this program.


For people who don't want to register for the free NYT account, the article is also available at http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20070630/ZNYT02/706300733

[iamjoy]

1. Can't Donate Today

I think I maxed out my monthly donation budget between the Edwards campaign and my Public Radio pledge, but I can kick this.

Maybe tomorrow, new month, new budget

[CrispyQ]

2. Thank you!

I will send a few bucks their way.

[lonestarnot]

3. Yikes 13! Man that is terrible, particularly, when some of these families can't even feed their

kids.

[1monster]

6. At one time my family had ten cats and a dog. My husband kept bringing

home cats that had been abandoned.

In the end I told him NO MORE CATS! (I love them, but our house was over run and I was afraid our neighbors would get upset. We were statutorily and deed restricted to two animals.)

Then our dog died of kidney failure (probably due to those tainted dog food ingredients from China).

So one evening he brought home a dog that was about to become homeless.

Attrition (one died from congenital heart failure) and two cats were killed probably by raccoons (I make sure all my cats are in the house by dusk now) has reduced the number of cats to a slightly more managable seven. (But we still all miss Annie, Amber, and Mr. Squeeks.)

[lonestarnot]

11. I do what I can. I had 6 rescued by me dogs for a while.

I'm down to 4 now and two kiddely cats.

[Lorien]

60. Raccoons don't kill cats

unless the raccoons have rabies or distemper. Coyotes, on the other hand, are spreading in nearly every state and dine regularly on cats and small dogs. One of my closest friends lost two cats to coyotes in Glendale, CA in the past year. Best to keep the critters indoors if you've heard of coyotes in your area. Otherwise, traffic is a cat's #1 enemy outdoors. At any rate, I'm sorry to hear that you've lost so many. :-( :hug:

My outside cat Jasper used to share his food with the neighborhood raccoons. I'd always feed him in an extra large bowl because a raccoon or two would almost always end up sitting there beside him, scooping out a handful of food every so often and munching away. Fortunately everyone was always on their best behavior at dinnertime.

[barb162]

62. I've seen that. I was feeding a stray cat and along came the raccoons.

No one fought. I eventually got the cat in and have had him over ten years. He was probably a dumpee.

[Lorien]

68. My kitty Jasper was a dumpee too

he had feline AIDS so he couldn't live indoors with my other cats, but he had been neutered, so I know that he belonged to someone once. Poor fellow also had cancer and had one front leg removed to keep it from spreading, yet he was still in fine spirits. He lived to about age 18 (my vet's guess) when kidney failure finally got to him. During all the years he lived with me he always got along with all the outdoor creatures; I would often look outside to see him eating dinner with a raccoon on his right and a 'possum on his left-he never hissed at either! The only times he showed any temper at all was with the baby raccoons that couldn't resist pouncing on his switching tail, but he never struck any of them. Jasper was such a wonderful cat, I can't imagine why anyone would have dumped him.

[barb162]

70. Oh he does sound like a sweetie.

I had another cat I brought in, a feral, who took to indoor living very quickly. He died of cancer within two years at about age 8. I loved that cat so much. He got along fairly well with the raccoons and opposums. He lived in a heated box outside while I was trying to tame him for about a year. Once he was indoors he was great. They have very hard lives outdoors. He always limped, both front legs had arthritis and they really couldn't do much for him with that. I thought he got the arthritis at such a young age from maybe always jumping up in trees and then down to escape big dogs or whatever.

[Lorien]

79. Very hard lives outdoors in most of the states

in Florida they rarely have to worry about the cold (and when we did have a cold snap Jasper did get a room inside to himself), and with the downtown leash laws dogs aren't an issue. But still, I've never let any of my cats outdoors without a leash since, because Jasper did have feline AIDS which he probably caught from a feral cat-plus there's traffic as an issue.

So good of you to have brought your feral inside; he was one lucky kitty to have found you!



Puck enjoying her "walkies":

[Wcross]

4. I am a "victim" of drive-by pet dumping.

I live in a rural area and people seem to think their unwanted pet will somehow be able to survive "in the country". I have eight animals right now and can't afford to take in any more. (six dogs & 2 cats)
I have had mixed success in finding homes for the dumped ones. I try to help, even having them fixed and first round of shots to make them more adoptable. Some of the dogs dropped are put down (aka shot) due to their temperament. I can't afford to let them fight with my dogs or take a bite out of me. We have no county animal control, they just cover the one bigger town. They will not respond where I am.
To all those that think their unwanted pet is going to be O.K. "in the country" you are sadly mistaken. Most end up being shot, hit by cars or starving to death. Don't fault us for shooting your pet, blame yourself. People can't afford to lose livestock or losing their own pets because you are not a responsible human being.

[1monster]

7. To reinforce your point about animals dropped of NOT being able

to cope, here's my journal entry about A CAT NAMED ELVIS who was dumped in our neighborhood.

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/1monster/1

Starvation is a horrible way to die.

[Wcross]

10. Worst I saw was a puppy dropped & attacked by a hawk.

I saw the Hawk in the field across the street eating, I decided to see what he had caught. This pup was probably 4 weeks old and didn't have any chance to survive, a true case of animal cruelty.

[lonestarnot]

12. Those dumpers need their asses kicked. Isn't that illegal?

[Wcross]

16. It is felony animal abuse in Tennessee.

The problem is people rarely get caught doing it. Yes, they deserve a serious taste of the boot in their ass but the reason they chose areas like mine is they can't see any houses around and no traffic on the road.

You know what the saddest thing to see is? The animal waiting on the side of the road for their owner to return and take them back home. It rips my heart out.

[lonestarnot]

17. OMG

:cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry:

[nealmhughes]

44. I live on a gravel road, about 1.5 miles from the nearest paved road, on top of a mountain

in far Northern Alabama, about 3 miles from the Tennessee state line.
We have 8 dogs total. Only two were "originals." The others were all dumped or the offspring of those who were dumped. What is so sad is that these dogs are all so proud to have a home now and we take them in.
One was hit by a car and had to have pelvic surgery. One was about 6 months old and a beautiful German Shepherd and she was left with a sack of dog food beneath her, halfway between the paved road and our house.
She is the perfect "outside dog." My current "inside dog," a little 9 month old Jack Russel/King Charles Spaniel mix was left wearing a collar but no tags in the middle of the road. She is fixed now and fat and sassy and on top of my bed as I type now.
Then there are Snoopy, Bruno, Puppy and Otis. . .
A new puppy, still with "puppy fuzz" came up two days ago, was fed and started to bond with the others, then he went hunting with them and never came back. I don't know if he was lost and found his way home or is lost now.
Every 8 of them have been spayed or neutered. I love the dogs but there has to be someone there at least once a day to ensure that the food bowls and water bowls are full and that no one has been injured. . .That means no family vacations.
Why put up with it? What is the alternative? Have them "put to sleep?"
I think not and the whole family agrees. Luckily we can afford to keep the kennel, but I doubt many can with the price of gas and everything else these days.
This is the aspect of living in the country that I hate the most.

[karlrschneider]

52. One of our doggies (getting very old and really should be euthanized)

was like that. Someone put her out by the bait shop out here by the lake. I saw her there for a few days and asked the people if she belonged to them, they said no it just showed up one night after some people got gas for the car. Nobody had fed her and she had gotten full of ticks from running through the thicket looking for something to eat. I didn't know if she would let me come close but I just walked over and picked her up and put her in the car. A bath and some serious tick removal later, she was presentable but in poor physical condition. Our vet treated her for worms, did all the shots and she improved quickly. She's now at least 14 and has trouble getting up and around. Sometimes she cries. Sometime this summer we will have to let her go.

[Wcross]

54. delete

[Olney Blue]

69. My heart goes out to you about your dog.

:hug: It's not an easy thing to do.

[Withywindle]

72. I saw way too much of that as a kid.

My parents had a little land and a little money (in rural VA) and took in as many as we could. But I still remember the one time this one dog lunged at the car when Mom was driving me to school and herself to work--the car must have looked kind of like the one that dumped the dog--and there was no way around it, we couldn't help it, we hit it. My whole family cried for a week.

I want every bastard who's ever done this to experience it themselves in their next life. May they know the feeling of being abandoned and cold and hungry and not able to understand why the being you love doesn't love you anymore. (I suspect some already do, which explains the popularity of a demented cult devoted to a cold, authoritarian God of hate who only "loves" you if you follow incomprehensible and arbitrary rules).

[shireen]

21. my heart goes out to you .... ways to help?

Please PM me if you ever need a bit of help with vet bills. I don't have much to give, but sometimes, a little bit makes a difference. This is a sincere offer, I hope you (or anyone else needing help) contact me.

Maybe we should start a DU financial pet rescue ring, modeled like the organization where teachers post requests for grants and donors can pick a project to fund. It's really cool.

DUers who have rescue animals but cannot afford vet bills or know of a shelter in critical need of funds for a very sick animal could be matched up with DU'ers willing to help them out. Maybe we could use the pets forum for this ... someone needing help could start a thread about their situation, photos of the animals needing help, and amount of money needed. People who donate can specify how much they sent in that thread; keeping track that way will help people know when to stop donating when the person needing assistance has collected enough for the vet bill. Of course, we'd be looking forward to updates about how the pet is doing! :)

Abandoned pets seems like an overwhelming problem. But if we broke it into manageable bits, and help out fellow DU'ers who need a hand, it would make a small dent in the crisis as well as forge a personal connection to the animals and people we are helping.

Am I breaking any DU rules with this idea? Just an idea, we could talk about it more under more official DU-admin sanctioned terms.

[Wcross]

26. You can help- donate to spay/neuter programs where you live.

I am single, have a fairly good job and feel good about helping animals. It's a "Karma" thing for me, it makes me feel good. It's only money and you can't take it with you :)

I wish we could have some educational programs in our schools about responsible pet ownership. It may be too late to change adults attitudes but if you plant the seed early maybe in a few years it will take root?

[murielm99]

25. I live in a rural area, too.

We have to restrict our compassion, unfortunately, because it is so expensive. We have even had people we knew take advantage of us and leave pets without permission.

At most, we have had three dogs, and ten or so cats. We simply can't do that any more. But almost all our pets have either been dumped or rescues.

We have two great shelters in our area. A vet and his assistant one town over from us take care of all the animals for no charge. He is a friend of my husband's, and a terrific person.

Please don't dump your animals here. Even my pets have been hit by cars from time to time, and I take care of them. All these poor abandoned animals get killed on the roads, and get shot. Even if animal control does pick them up, most of them are destroyed, because there are not enough homes for them.

[tbyg52]

31. We were up to eight dogs at one point

Due to the same circumstances. Fortunately, we were (barely) able to afford to spay/neuter and support them.

People who provide free spay/neuter services for those who can't afford it are gems beyone price.

[nam78_two]

33. Thank you for what you do

I have been in a similar situation. I am down to one cat now due to friends adopting some of my strays. I am extremely allergic to cat and dog hair, though I love animals and even 1 cat is difficult sometimes.

[shrike]

55. Tell me about it

My aunt, who lived on a farm for years, was always having to deal with dumped pets. She and her partner were the responsible types and always found homes for them. A few of the cats they kept themselves since so many adapted well to barn living. Some cats simply connived their way into the house and became great house pets, too.

One cat in particular I remember they found on Christmas Day, sitting on a fence post. The temperature was well below freezing, and it's a miracle it wasn't dead. The cat wormed its way into the house, and their hearts, and from that day forward refused to get into a vehicle. The vet would give it its shots and check-ups when he came out to see the livestock.

[barb162]

63. I talked to a woman who lives in a rural area and she and a

few friends started a shelter because they were getting so many pets dumped in their area. It's a horrible problem.

[kestrel91316]

5. It's all the veterinarians' fault -

because we have the nerve to charge for our services......

:sarcasm:

At least that's what a vocal fraction of society would have us believe.

[1monster]

8. I don't think that is quite true, Kestral. A reasonable charge is expected.

But I have had many cats spayed and neutered in the last fifteen years.

Every time I had a cat spayed at my regular vets, the cost went up and up. The last cat I had spayed by them (I really like all of the vets except for one and the one I can't stand because she is always trying to sell unwanted and unnecessaray services; she's the one who did the last one) was a botched job. And the charge was nearly three times the amount I'd ever paid before.

So, I have had cats spayed (and given rabies, distemper and FLIV immunizations) for $50 in the last three years, neutered (with the immunizations) for $35.00. I've also paid $120.00 for the spay alone. And close to $400 for a spay alone.

Admittedly, the $50.00/$35.00 spays/neuters were done by a group of 501C3 mobile vets who want to spay and neuter as many cats as possible.

But the difference in the costs associated with spaying and neutering is staggering.

[sleepyhead]

37. Most veterinarians actually subsidize the cost of spay/neuter

If you compare the cost for a spay, for example, with the cost of other abdominal surgery, you will almost always find that the vet is charging much less for the spay. Most of us do that as a way to contribute to population control. Having said that, there is a difference between the $50 spay that is done at the mobile unit and the $150 spay done at an animal hospital - I can tell you that at our hospital, all dogs and cats that are spayed have preanesthetic blood work done, get intravenous catheters and fluids during the procedure, are hooked up to heart and respiratory monitors, and get aggressive pain management during and after the procedures. This is not always possible at the mobile units (note: I am NOT saying that they are wrong, just that it is done a bit differently to control costs). We do our share of pro bono/discount work as well, for rescue groups and pet owners that for whatever reason are unable to afford surgery - but it is important to realize that we do need to cover our costs in order to help the maximum number of pets.

[1monster]

39. My point was that the mobile vets were a 501C3 organization. They are

a group that gets funding from sources other than the fees charged for the spay/neuter service.

However, here was no difference in the level of post op care for my cats done by the 501C3 and the veterinary hospital we usuaally used.

Except that all three of the cats I had spayed/nuetered by the 501C3 vets came through the process with no noticable problems (except that one female took longer to recover than the other). The one done by the vet hospital was traumatized and never completely recovered.

[Vanje]

78. Tips for Cost-cuttting

1. Do your own shots.
Buy immunizations at your local feed store,or some pharmacies, and give the shots yourself. Yes, you can do it!
By law,a veterinarian must administer rabies shots, but other than rabies,the pet-owner can legally and THRIFTILY give immunizations.
Inexpensive (~$5)Rabies clinics are often put on by feedstores, pet-supply stores, and humane organizations.

2.Shop around for best spay and neuter prices. Call for price quotes.
Often rural Veterinary practices which serve large animals will do some routine small animal procedures for far cheaper than urban pet clinics will.

3.Do it yourself

Get a thermometer. You know where to put it!
Get a nail-trimmer.
Do your own grooming,including ear cleaning.
Scrape the tarter yourself.

[Wcross]

9. Those are probably the same types who dump pets.

I can not say enough good things about my Vet. He gives volume discounts for multiple pets, very reasonable for services such as spaying, neutering ect....

There is NO EXCUSE for not having your pet fixed. There are low cost programs if you can't afford a full service vet. If you can't afford the 25 dollars these low cost clinics charge you have no business having pets.

All I can say kestrel91316 is thank you for helping the animals, I never have a problem when it comes time to pay the bill. I understand my responsibility for my pets.

[lonestarnot]

14. Oh yes there is an excuse. There is always and excuse and if you

ask me about it, I will give it to you.

[LiberalFighter]

27. I would go further

if they can't afford the cost of regular vet services they should not have pets.

Anyone not familiar with having pets should know the cost of having their pet spayed or neutered, annual dental cleaning, all necessary vaccinations, cost of grooming for the particular breed on an annual basis, dog tags if their pet is not spayed or neutered (in my city it is $100 a year otherwise $5).

And be willing to pay the cost of surgery if the pet needs it.

[1monster]

42. So those of us who find defenceless animals dropped on our doorsteps

are supposed to let them starve to death if we can't afford to spay or neuter them?

Have you ever seen a starving animal? A beautiful domestic cat dumped as a kitten starving to death?

(on edit, I meant to sugguest you click on post #7 to read one story about a dumped starving cat.)

It took us a while, but we did end up having all of our rescue cats spayed and neutered. But the cats would have starved to death if we hadn't taken them in. Either that, or have been destroyed by our County program that traps and kills "feral" cats. "Feral" to them means cats without owners.

[LiberalFighter]

43. I'm referring to those that decide to get a pet (Not rescuers)

They should consider the cost and whether they are prepared to properly care for the pet. Instead of getting a pet and then deciding they don't want it anymore and dump them.

[1monster]

45. Got it. You are correct.

[Vanje]

77. Fortunes can change

Most people are one lay-off away from being unable to afford quality care for their pets.

[lonestarnot]

13. Some services are a racket and it's not the charge for the services, it's the charge to fucking much

for services or in one of my experiences, charge for fuck nothing.

[freeplessinseattle]

18. wow, defensive much?

I'd think a vet would have a more sympathetic and creative response to this type of thread instead of making it about you.

Here in Seattle there are 2 feral cat trap-and-release programs (free or $12 for tame cats. and both have the option of shots for $5 each, and FELV testing for $10). only a couple of vets volunteer their services but I haven't heard anyone griping about the vets that don't. Maybe Seattle people are more appreciative of what we have, heck, we are so grateful for the occasional sunny break maybe we don't have the room for irrelevence.

[ninkasi]

19. Our dog is from a rescue organization

We have had him about a year and a half, and got him after our previous rescue kid died. Our current one is a mini-Schnauzer, and the rescue group he came from depends heavily on the services of a vet, who donates his time, and heavily reduces his charges, just because he loves pets.

If we get a fence, we would consider adopting another one, but since we don't, we have to take our little guy out several times a day on a leash. We would never consider letting him out unleashed, even with us watching over him. My cousin lives in a semi-rural area, and has rescued more dogs and cats than anybody else I've ever known. She's an angel.

[MuseRider]

23. NO WAY!

I have the most wonderful vets in the world. I have spayed and neutered so many here in my little country area and the vet that did it always gave me a big break for "strays". I can't say much more, the last time I did I got pounded by someone because they were not mine but someone had to do it, 16 fertile cats is way too many to have just because you don't want to mess with it and besides they were birthing in my barns and I was getting over run.

Anyway, I have only found one vet in all these years with all the many and different animals I have that I did not care for and he is an old large animal guy who really is tired of doing it.

Hooray for Vets, seriously. I just got back from one a little bit ago with my brittle diabetic cat.

[shireen]

24. most vets I've interacted with are angels ...

kind compassionate people who really care about animals.

Frankly, I don't see a problem if they over-charge Fifi's rich parents for her annual check-up, if some of that money goes to subsidize care for patients who can't afford it. If I had mammal or reptile or amphibian pets (I have fish, so I treat them myself if they get sick!), I'd be happy to pay an extra percentage of the bill for helping people who cannot afford vet care. And I'm not rich, so so so not rich!

Another thought ... abandoned animals that need vet care should get some publicity; shelters and animal rescue groups should actively court their local media. About a month ago, a local tv station featured an abandoned pet who had been set on fire by some sick freaks. I immediately picked up the phone and donated a little money to the vet office who was caring for that sweet dog (for free!). They were very appreciative. Happy ending ... I got a follow-up letter from the vet office telling me that the dog had been adopted and was living a great life with a loving family.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

28. If it weren't for the donated time and labor of veterinarians

Organizations such as spayUSA would not exist.

For those here, like myself, who find they're a depository for dumped animals check out the link and see if there's a low cost spay/neuter/vaccine clinic near you.

http://www.spayusa.org/about/about.asp

[DemBones DemBones]

47. Do vets ever offer payment plans?

If not, I think it would be very popular and encourage more pet owners to get their pets the care they need. Vets would get their usual pay for spaying, neutering, vaccinations, deworming, but the pet owner wouldn't be hit with a big bill all at once.

There are a lot of people who can't afford medical care for themselves but don't want to accept charity. Rural Appalachian people have their pride, would rather suffer than ask for help. I've taught in Appalachian counties so I've had a lot of experience with this. I'm sure there are low income people all over the U.S. who also don't want to have others know how poor they are.

I think many of them would prefer paying vet bills with a payment plan to receiving free vet care.

[Lisa]

49. the vet I used to work for was flat broke most of the time, because she spent most of her earnings

... on surgical supplies, medications, etc. for injured animals. Domestic dogs, cats, and rabbits who had been abandoned or whose owners couldn't afford the bills, or wild creatures that had been shot or hit by cars ... she would take them home with her and fix her up. I remember going to visit her in Tucson many years ago -- she had a large German Shepherd cross that she had bought from the neglectful owner because she was afraid that the next time the dog was beaten, it would be dead. Her own dog, an elderly Florida cattle dog that was mostly blind and navigated to his food bowl by scent. And I shared the spare bedroom with an owl that was recovering from a fractured ulna. (And a few years previously, she had also been caring for an elderly great-aunt who had been dumped on her by family members who had managed to trick the old lady out of her house in Florida.)

I recall that we ended up going to a nearby supermarket to forage for some dented cans of baked beans for supper, because there was hardly any (human) food in the house!

[Withywindle]

73. Vets aren't the problem.

People who treat animals as disposable objects are the problem.

People who won't pay $50 to get a dog fixed but will pay that same amount on liquor or gasoline for their gargantuan truck in a week are the problem.

[Solly Mack]

15. Thanks for posting

We're known for taking in pets people no longer want. It gets expensive but whatcha gonna do?

We keep them or find them good homes.

[intheflow]

20. "Cannot afford to sterilize... them..."

That is certainly true, but I've also noticed while living in the South that there seems to be a cultural bias against spaying and neutering. Really, it's neutering, mostly, and the resistence seems to come mostly from men. "Can't cut off the dogs balls, that's inhumane!" These same guys let their dogs roam freely through the neighborhood. That's what I attribute the large dog drop problem in my area to be about--unwanted puppies resultd from "manly" dogs making the rounds.

[Wcross]

30. LOL- Your right about the south and having the balls cut!

The guy who cuts the hay on my property was "distressed" that I had fixed all my male dogs. He didn't quite understand how it all works I guess, that they are 1/2 of the problem. To me it just makes sense. They are at ZERO risk of testicular cancer, they tend to be less aggressive, they don't wander as much and of course do not impregnate female dogs.
It's been 4 years and none of the guys seem to miss their balls.

[DemBones DemBones]

41. I've lived in the South most of my life and never heard this, so

it's not the mindset of every Southern man. I'll ask Mr. Bones, who is a Southern man, but if he'd ever heard this, I think he'd have told me because he would have thought it was silly.

People in rural areas are accustomed to castrating bulls, stallions, all sorts of livestock.

As the article states, the main reason for not spaying and neutering is the cost. That's not a complaint against vets, just a reality.

[intheflow]

56. I never said every Southern man had this mindset.

And the whole south isn't rural. Perhaps it is a more sub/urban bias. I live in the city of Biloxi, far away (psychologically) from any bull castration. I also volunteer for the Gulfport Humane Society. I met a few men with this bias when I lived in Springfield, MA, and Denver, but it's really prevalent on the Mississippi Coast.

Then, too, Americans are far more attached to dogs than cattle. Just look at the ruckus over Romney's treatment of the family dog in 1983. Surely he's had a steak dinner or two since then, but that's not making the news. Just sayin'.

[karlrschneider]

22. It's a problem in a lot of places. We live in a rural area like that and have 4 that were dumped.

I know that a lot of the people in this lakeside community have adopted throwaway pets and they aren't all rich. We aren't rich either but we do get them spayed & neutered, shots and so forth...4 is about all we can afford and it breaks my heart that many just get run over or shot. Or simply starve.

It's a shame there isn't some affordable method to sterilize pets.

[femrap]

29. When I die and if there is any $ left,

it all goes to take care of animals. Except for the group that helps poor women pay for abortions.

People who dump animals need to be jailed....or worse.

[DemBones DemBones]

36. Wow. Save the animals,

kill the kids. What a humane philosophy!

Why not help poor women have the means to be able to keep their children? You know, child care, job training, job placement.

[Caoimhe]

46. Wow Just Wow

I think a person who chooses to help any of earth's creatures is unselfish and to be appreciated. This isn't about people vs. animals. If it weren't for selfish, braindead people, these animals wouldn't be in such need. I applaud anyone willing to help them. Let me know when I can get a tax write off for my pets and then we'll talk about comparing kids with pets. Let me know when my tax money is going to fund low cost food for abandoned animals, low cost shelter or medical services for them. For now, that help is all due to the kindness of people who care. There really is no national safety net for abandoned or abused animals as there is for children.

[DemBones DemBones]

59. Here's the thing. . .

there are a lot of threads on DU about helping animals but few about helping children.

Mr.Bones and I love animals and have rescued more dogs, cats, and birds than I can even begin to remember. We started doing it before we were married, when we rescued a seagull that had been hit by a car on a highway. We've adopted strays, found homes for strays, taken strays to the shelter, which is a forty-five mile round trip for us. Helping animals is a good thing to do.

But I think there is too little concern for helping children here in the U.S. and in other countries. I'm not saying everyone should adopt a child, although it's wonderful for people to do that, but that we should help children in need at least as much as we help animals.

A lot of children in the U.S. are hungry, not getting medical or dental care, living in appalling conditions, being abused. I taught in Appalachian counties and could tell you some stories about poverty and abuse that would curl your hair. The "safety net" isn't doing as much as you apparently think.

Do you know what happens here when someone reports that a child is being abused? The social service workers go to the home -- or the hospital, if the child has been injured -- and in front of the parents ask the child, or children, if mom or dad hits them.

Of course, the kids have been threatened about what will happend if they ever tell, so they deny that they've been hurt by the parents. The social workers go on their merry way and dad (or mom) beats the shit out of the child(ren.)

The social workers who are sent out on abuse cases are low-paid and rarely stay in the job long, so the fault is in the system.

Children who are abandoned, orphaned, or removed from a bad home situation typically bounce around from foster home to foster home for years, often being abused by the foster parents. Too many foster parents take in children simply for the money. Anyone who likes children and is able to take on the challenge should consider being a foster parent. There is a great need for good foster parents.

Other possibilities for volunteer work are tutoring, being a Big Brother or Big Sister or Scout leader. A lot of kids really need an adult in their life who doesn't have problems that are taken out on the child. One thing I agree with Hillary about is that "It Takes a Village." In the best of families, kids still need other adults they can talk to.


Our treatment of children shows how very flawed our society's priorities are.

Our treatment of the elderly and disabled is equally poor. Americans like pets better than people. Pets are easier to like, of course, because they have no opinions or political views. They listen to us and never disagree. But we should care about people's well-being whether we like them or not.

[Lars39]

53. Not every poor woman *wants* a child.

[DemBones DemBones]

61. But if a poor woman is pregnant and

has an abortion only because she can't afford the child, that's not really a choice, is it?

For that matter, isn't it better to help poor women avoid unwanted pregnancies by providing contraceptive education and free contraceptives?

From a woman's point of view, I think preventing pregnancy always beats undergoing an abortion. Nobody I know has ever enjoyed her abortion.

[bleedingheart]

71. there are a lot of reasons women have abortions and

while money is one...there are a number of other factors....

and sadly money is a factor and it can be part of the choice...

take my cousin's "girlfriend"...uneducated, foul-mouthed and rude...it would take a hell of a lot of money to turn that piece of coal into a diamond...and you would have what Eliza Doolittle was before Henry Higgins even began work on her...

You would have to leave a fortune to turn that woman's life around and help her raise a child...and the sad fact is that she just gave birth last month to a little gal who is doomed to a life with a really crazy mother and a drug addicted father (my cousin)...who most likely will be dead or in jail within about 5 years if he keeps on the path he is...

At her baby shower..most folks were saying..."I wish she would give this baby to a better home"...one of those most surreal situations..

I am rather liberal but after meeting this young woman...sterilization came to mind because I think she and my cousin will be starting another life rather soon...and meanwhile it will be the taxpayers who foot the bill for the kid they will ultimately ignore...kind of like the folks who dump animals off in the country because they didn't want to accept responsibility...

Am I pro birth control..you bet ya...but sometimes even that fails and there are folks out there who are sometimes smart enough to know that having a baby would be a bad idea...

[mrreowwr_kittty]

32. Donated $25 and k and r. Thanks for brining this to our attention. n/t

[Duppers]

34. done

I've already sent them $35. this year.

Not that it's very relevant, but I'd like to make a correction: the NYT stated that Selmer, TN is at "the southern tail of the Appalachian Mountains." Selmer is nowhere near the Appalachian Mountains. Since my aunt lives in that godawful, extremely conservative place, I know that Selmer is as flat as a pancake. She adopts stray cats, but she drew the line at six.

I do think more vets should donate some of their time or at least charge a min. fee for those very poor folks with 3+ animals. I know for a fact that my vet uses a sliding fee because I've compared my charges with some of her poorer clients.

Thanks for posting this.

K & R.

[DemBones DemBones]

38. The article was filed at Selmer, but the family with 13 dogs lives in

Finger, also in McNairy County. I don't know the area but perhaps Finger is close to the Appalachians?

I live in the foothills of the Appalachians myself, way out in the boonies, and we have dealt with dumped animals for more than 30 years. We've kept some, found homes for others, taken others to the shelter, more than forty miles round trip for us.

One of our neighbors had another technique: he drove them back to the suburb on this side of the nearest city and dumped them there, reasoning that they came from there in the first place. Being inside the city limits, people there can get animal control to pick up strays.

[Duppers]

48. Finger, TN

Finger is south of Jackson and north of Selmer and is still flat as a pancake.

Say you live in the foothills of the Appalachians? Where, may I ask? I grew up near Knoxville and spent the last weekend hiking around Boone and Blowing Rock, NC. God, I miss those high mountains! (I now live in "Tidewater" VA, another flat area.)



Please keep this thread kicked so folks will know and can contribute. Thanks.

[AnnieBW]

35. Not just rural areas

My friend Rebecca found a pregnant cat, who was just about 9 months old herself, a few weeks ago. It had been dumped at a gas station near her house. Although she already has 3 cats and 2 dogs, she brought the poor little thing home. The kitty is as sweet as can be, and her two kittens are simply adorable! I'm on the waiting list for one of them...

We also found one of our former cats, Jeremy, dumped in the snow and ice in January when he was a 6-month-old kitten. Unneutered, naturally. We took care of that problem right away. He and our other cat were buddies and died within a year of each other.

[spinbaby]

40. It's expensive to keep pets healthy and happy

We figure about $500 per cat per year when you add up shots, Fancy Feast, and the odd emergency. We have five of the critters--all rescues.

[LWolf]

50. I lived in a dumping hotspot for many years.

A long, lonely rural road through the Mojave Desert; get a few miles out from the nearest paved road or street light, where my house was, and out they go.

During the years that I lived there I adopted many. I didn't adopt more than I could afford to care for, or that was reasonable for the amount of space, time, and attention I could give them. I gathered them up and took them to the humane society, knowing that most would be euthanized. It crushed me to do so, but not as much as allowing them to die of starvation, dehydration, or coyote predation would have been.

[DemGa]

51. This used to happen to me often when I lived in a rural area

My house was pretty secluded. I had whole litters of puppies and kittens dumped on me at once; and I can tell you, it was very stressful. I moved years ago but still have my Belgian Sheepdog from that time (he's 9 yrs. old now). He was just a puppy running up and down the road in front of my house; his mother had been hit by a car and lay dead in the ditch. He's a wonderful dog.

It was very painful to have those animals dumped on me. I wish people could develop better sense about the suffering they cause.

[pitohui]

57. a friend had around 40 animals, many dumped, most impossible to place in another home

she was low income and had no health care or health services for even herself, fortunately, she was active volunteer in spay/neuter program and had a vet who worked w. her to provide care to her pets at a reasonable price, although even reasonable price for that many animals strained her budget

people who dump victimize not just the animals but the rural poor who have soft hearts and who reason that "just one more" can't hurt, trouble is when "just one more" becomes 40 animals, it's just a bad situation that severely impacts the person's ability to move (VERY hard to find ANY rentals), work (can't take a job w. travel because of the expense of hiring care for the animals), and save (who can save when grossing less than $20K a year, no health insurance, has to own a reliable auto because out in the country, and still feed all these?) -- such things as vacation or even working late become impossible with that many animals who must be fed, watered, walked, on a schedule

[MasonJar]

58. Done and kick!

[Kurovski]

64. K&R. (nt)

[Jed Dilligan]

65. I live in a big, low rent apartment complex in CA

and the local SPCA actually comes around here to try to capture and place the feral cats. We're one of the few low-rent places in town that take pets, and with students moving in and out there's a lot of abandonment. It's sad, but people do feed them and I've never seen one die out here.

[demnan]

66. We have feral cats in my neighborhood

most were probably dumped. I was shocked to discover that my dear Charley whom I rescued (large orange boy below) was declawed and fixed. I had to feed him outside for a long time before I could socialize him and bring him in. He's still extremely shy around other people, although friendly and affectionate with me.

A neighbor of mine has been actively working with the spay and release program, but found to her surprise that the 4 or 5 feral cats that were picked up were mostly already fixed.

[bread_and_roses]

67. Pet ownership is not an inalienable right. It should be regulated and those regulations

enforced. There will be no solution to this until we decide to strictly enforce licensing laws, require licensing cats - yes, I know, that strikes horror into many hearts but millions of cats suffer from being dumped, or born feral, or neglected - make licensing of un-neutered animals VERY expensive, licensing of neutered animals expensive enough to make people think twice about getting an animal in a society where people actually are FINED for having one if not neutered or licensed (I know - there are responsible low-income people who could not then afford pets. Well, then, THAT I say is an appropriate use of charity, not the endless $$ that are donated to shelters and rescues that in the end, do not dent the 4-6 MIllION euthanized dogs/cats every YEAR - the number I've read repeatedly.)

The AKC must somehow be required to do something to prevent "Puppy-Mill" puppies from getting "papers" - like requiring inspection of any premise before "papers" are issued to a puppy born there (I'm quite sure voluteers could be found for that job, for instance) and we must put the money from high licensing fees into animal control officers. And more if more is needed. Feral and neglected and abused animals are a hazard to humans and wildlife, besides suffering cruelly in a way that a civilized society should not tolerate.

I love both dogs and cats, have two rescued cats, used to have two rescued dogs. We live in a semi-rural area, and now we don't have dogs, the feral cats have appeared. I am feeding two now, in addition to our two. I would do more for them, but they are too fearful to get near. We don't live in the wilds anymore. We cannot continue to consider pet ownership some kind of inalienable right. Four to Six MILLION animals destroyed in shelters every year - or however many it is, that's just the number I've read repeatedly - it is too many, a social burden, an unbearable weight of cruelty, and it doesn't have to happen.

[harpboy_ak]

74. Why don't these rural folks just put the damn animals down?

I'm sorry, but if they can't afford to keep them, they shouldn't. If their local govt won't shelter & then put them down when they run out of space, then they should not pick up strays, except to dispatch them humanely.

These unwanted animals are the animal equivalent of invasive weeds, and no one should feel obligated to do anything for them other than to humanely put them out of their misery. IMHO animal abandoners should be sentenced to work about six weeks in an overcrowded animal shelter where they have to witness abandoned animals being euthanized.

At least California is trying to deal with the problem by forcing anyone not deliberately breeding purebreds to spay or neuter their pets.

OTOH, there are many obsessive-compulsive folks in this country who "hoard" animals. They need professional treatment for their problem. If they have been convicted of neglect, judges need to insure that they get treatment as well as be ordered to keep no animals.

[melnjones]

75. Um...

"These unwanted animals are the animal equivalent of invasive weeds, and no one should feel obligated to do anything for them other than to humanely put them out of their misery."

I certainly hope you don't feel that way about kids too. People like me who have furry four-legged kids find this kind of statement pretty ridiculous...

[fasttense]

76. It's hard to put those furry face to death

when they are looking into your eyes for help.

I've had nine drop offs, three of which died of injuries and disease. I still have six. But I've reached my limit and wont take anymore. I drive them to a no kill shelter, when I can catch them.

I don't understand why people don't just take unwanted pets to the shelter instead of just dumping them.

[melnjones]

80. no-kill shelters where I live are beyond full

and rarely will accept new animals. Unless you are surrendering a siamese or himalayan cat or a small breed dog, you don't stand a chance at them taking your animal. Only place left is the kill shelter.