Would you just throw your pet out in the street if you couldn't have it anymore?

No! I don't think I can. Pets, even though they are just animals, are important, too. They can feel, too. Furthermore, if they have been with you for a while, they are almost part of your family. Abandoning a pet is like abandoning a member of your family, a member whose well-being is highly dependent on you. How can you violate that responsibility? So, no, no matter how tough things can be, I will either keep them or find a decent home for them, but never to abandon them.

I understand her dilemma, but she could have handled it better with the cat. She should have first see if there was anyone who could have taken him, then if that didn't work take him to a no kill shelter. In the cat's condition being so fat, he probably can not defend himself, and putting him on the street is just like killing him. Sorry to sound so harsh, but it is true, anything could have happened, not to mention cars. I am glad the cat is okay, but she took the cat back, and is still in the same predicament she was in before. Maybe with the airing of the story someone will come forward and give her housing. That's how these things usually folds.

From what I understand the Humane Society and other public housing for animals are filled to the brim. Most cats they have to put down. Maybe this person thought the cat would have a better chance at living if she put it out on the street. Perhaps someone would see it and give it a home, because chances are if it was to an animal shelter it would be euthanized. Most people only want kittens, not full grown cats and a 44 pound cat is quite an undertaking to say the least. I'm not saying it was right, I'm just saying it may be the case.

I work with homeless animals in shelters, and the psychological damage of being abandoned by their owners is very evident. It is such a sad sight to see! Also, most of the shelters have absolutely horrible conditions! These places are absolutely dreadful! And also shelters do euthanize millions of animals every year. There are far more homeless animals in shelters than there are homes. So most animals that do end up in shelters are put down. I know the law where I live is that if you drop a pet off at the shelter, they shelter can legally kill that animal that very day. There are no-kill shelters and rescue groups, however most of them are full. And hardly any of them will just take in an animal. They pretty much only pull animals from high-kill shelters. The shelters that do euthanize are usually very full too. So when you dump an animal there, it means that the shelter has to put down another animal to make room for yours. So I can definitely see why someone who couldn't keep their pet would NOT want to take their pet to a shelter! I would NEVER advise someone to just abandon their animal on the street to fend for itself, but I can understand why people would do that over taking their pet to a shelter. People are naive and think that domestic animals can take care of themselves out in the wild. Or people think that someone will find their pet and take care of it. Most animals that are abandoned on the street like this die, or are picked up by animal control and taken to shelters.

I could never do that and I'm not defending this pet owner but maybe the entire ordeal was just too much for her, she couldn't go to the shelter and she hoped that someone would take the cat in.

The few dogs that I've had in my life I never got rid of them by just putting them out. I sold one and the others went to family members who wanted them. I do wish everyone would put them where they need to be when they dont' want them. We have 20 or dogs that run up and down our street just from people putting them out. It's ridiculous. We need to get some of Bob Barker's shirts and wear them LOL!!!

i can not be so heartless.i would try my best to try find another home for the pet.

Oh my gosh! NO! Never! I could never just leave my pet outside to fend for itself, no matter the reasoning behind not being able to keep it! I would most defeniatly try to find it a home first, like you did. I would look for as long as possible! And if, for whatever reason, I am unable to find her a home-I guess I would have to bring her to a shelter. But I would make sure and tell them that if they cant' adopt her out, and they make the decision to euthanize her then they better contact me first. Of course I would NEVER bring my pet to a shelter that reularly euthanizes, I would bring her to a "no-kill" shelter where that happens less often. But i would be very strict and say DO NOT put her to sleep before contacting me.

I can't understand it either except that some people are just prepared to be cruel and thoughtless. We have a responsibility towards all animals and if for some reason someone has a pet and cannot look after it any more they should try and find another good home for it or if they cannot, then take it to the RSPCA or local animal rescue centre.

hi linda we had to move to an apartment thatdid not take pets sso we found a family with a little girl who absolutely adored my dog swap and while it nearly broke my heart I knewshe was in a good home with a yard and a little girl who loved her so at least she was okay. I sure did miss her.

No ,no way would I throw any pet into the street!there has been a lot of chat about this on the television recently,and there have been a lot of pets just abandoned,well the RSPCA is saying please dont abandon them just take them to the animal sanctuaries and drop them there ,at least then you know they are sfae and someone else doesnt have to go and rescue them

i sure wouldnt. but im wondering if she contacted them and not knowing how the cat was different, they said they had to many cats already and no one would take it. dont say that cant happen. my daughter ended up having to keep 6 cats because absolutely no place or anyone she knew would take any of them. also, i wonder why this got put in the Daily digest and mine didnt? mine was about the 44 pound cat.

no i wouldnt, and actually one time we moved and the place we moved to didnt allow pets so we had to find someone that could take our cat in. so we ended up giving her to our next door neighbor plus she was already pregnant by their cat anyways.what a perfect place for her to be right? thats what i thought but then one day as i was walking home from school i saw her sitting down in the bayou. i guess they just kept her kittens and threw her out.

NO I couldn't just turn my pet out. I don't understand anybody that can. I've had 2 neighbors do just that & I took one of them in (a Pit Bull). I would have taken the other one but he was an agressive male & I was afraid of him. I did put some food out for him. Fortunately I found the owner of the Pit Bull & convinced them to find him a home. Unfortunately the other one was picked up by animal control (called in by another neighbor). I had a cat that slipped out once. I looked for him for over 6 months. I finally told myself that a kind soul had taken him in as I had not found his body in my search. I just hope I was correct. My male lab was lonesome so I just took in a female lab that was a stray so he would be happier. My 21 year old cat just passed away & I adopted 2 kittens so I wouldn't be lonesome. I had a possum showing up at my house every night so I caught him & carried him out to the country & turned him loose because I couldn't kill him. I LOVE ANIMALS!!!

I couldn't imagine ever giving up my dog or cat at all. I once gave up a summer job that I really loved because they would not allow my cat in the housing units the third year I was to go back. I didn't have anyone I really trusted to take care of him for 8 weeks (my parents were out of the country). So I just didn't go. I got a crappy job at the mall instead. I know things happen in life that we can't always control; but if it was so dire that I could no longer care for them, would beg everyone I knew to take my pets before I would just turn them out in the woods. They are so acclimated to being indoor pets, they would very likely be completely tramuatized by being abandoned.

If I was forced to give up my pet I'd find a no kill shelter for it. But, even that choice is a hard one. Right now I have too many pets. My family and doctor tells me I need to find homes for some, but I just can't bring myself to give them to a shelter. I may have to post a sign and try to find other homes for them but I dread making that choice. By the way - a 44 pound cat? Surely it wasn't just a normal house cat that was that big I hope?

No I could nver do that. I love my animals. Even if I had one that made me so mad I couldnt just throw it out. I would find someone to take it. I could not give it to an agency either. I wouldnt feel right. I think that people that just throw animals out are heartless people.

Guys If you can't take care your pet dogs anymore please send it here in the philippines, I would gladly accept it, and I'm serious.

I hate people throw away their pets if they don't want to keep them.If you didn't have enough confidence to yourself when you decided to keep a pet,pls don't try.Once you get a pet,you should keep it till it passing awy.If you have to give up in the mid-way,you must find another master or a shelter for it at least.

Of course not.Seriously,as they have been with you for a while,they are your family members too.How can you abandon a member of your family?