Msn money is promoting animal dumping.

[jrbjojo]

Just wanted to bring people's attention to this sorry excuse of a story posted on msn money. I don't know if it's ok to post a link so I won't add that quite yet. I've sent the link to some of the animal rescues I deal with but I was shocked at this. It's titled "Why you can't afford a dog" it's on msn home page. I just can't believe it even got published!

[nancy]

Must say that I agree that you should be sure you can afford to really care for a pet for its whole life before you get one. And that the decision is almost as important as deciding to have a child.

 

But would she recommend giving your child to a foster home or a shelter if you get laid off?

[theshine]

I did read this article posted somewhere else recently...it seems like she's taking a non issue and trying to make it an issue. The majority of pet owners seem to have no problem dumping their animals when times get hard, so I'm not sure who she's preaching to or why. I also think she is grossly overestimating the cost of maintaining pets. I spend about half of her annual per dog costs for four dogs.

[painted_ponies]

There's some chucklehead who's kind of a Dr. Phil-style financial "guru" who's been advocating the same irresponsible thing. I saw him on GMA one morning, advocating taking Fluffy to the animal shelter as a way of paring down the family budget. I don't know his name - beard, southern accent, blustery type. Yeah, real good thing to teach the kids - living things are disposable. No reason to live up to one's responsibilities. I can't imagine why anyone finds these types entertaining.

[BCkris]

Wow... can anyone give me a link to where i can read this article? I work at a Veterinarians office and everyday at least one phone call is a question on how much it is to euthanize there pet because they cant keep them and they dont want to take it to the shelter.... how does that make sense? (fyi, we turn those people away and give them a rescue phone number and hope that another vet wont do it just for the money)....

[pansmom]

BCkris, just google "Why you can't afford a dog" and it comes up. It was posted Aug. 18.

 

That whole bullet list of ways to give away your pet is ridiculous. BOY IS THAT GOING TO TICK OFF THE RESCUES. I'd love to record a nationwide phone message for them. "Hello. This is [insert rescue name here]. We're not able to take your call right now because, hello, we're volunteers. We don't even have an office! This is my personal phone number. Anyway, if you're calling because you read that ridiculous MSN Money article, the rescues were already full before the recession. If you haven't dumped your animals by now, I'm afraid there's not much we can do. Maybe you should sell your second or third car and carpool. Or start a garden. P.S. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS TEMPORARY ANIMAL FOSTER CARE--unless you have rich, lonely in-laws. Buh-bye."

 

OK, that made me feel better.

[Frogs & Dogs]

Uggh, makes me sick to think about giving up a pet. Three specific gripes on the article:

 

1. She mentions that animals ruin stuff. Uh, every animal??? Certainly not mine, and most animals won't if you train them properly and give them outlets for their physical and mental energy. In the 7+ months I've had my dog, she has chewed up a pen, an earplug, and a hair tie. I can feel myself going broke already!!!

 

2. She mentions that emergency vet bills are expensive. True indeed, but her example is totally avoidable! Don't want your cat ripped in half by a raccoon? Don't let him outside!

 

3. She argues that despite what pet owners think, their dogs won't die without them. Uh, really? Ever seen an unwanted animal PTS at a shelter? That's EXACTLY what will happen if lots of people take her advice and surrender their animals.

 

She says she's owned animals, but from the sound of it, her bond with them was minimal at best. I feel sorry for any animal under her care.

[theshine]

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS TEMPORARY ANIMAL FOSTER CARE--unless you have rich, lonely in-laws. Buh-bye."

 

OK, that made me feel better.

 

Oh yes, that one made me scratch my head...for those who haven't read, she says the first thing you should do when you get laid off is to get your pet into temporary foster care. Ooookaaayyy....this would be what, dumping an animal off on a "friend" and then having the nerve to ask for your pet back a year later after they've gotten him neutered and vaxed for you??

[Laurelin]

Oh yes, that one made me scratch my head...for those who haven't read, she says the first thing you should do when you get laid off is to get your pet into temporary foster care. Ooookaaayyy....this would be what, dumping an animal off on a "friend" and then having the nerve to ask for your pet back a year later after they've gotten him neutered and vaxed for you??

 

Yeah I dunno. If you were good friends with someone who was into dogs maybe? I know if I ever was really in a dire situation my dogs' breeders would take them for at least a while till I could get back on my feet.

 

About every other line of that article ticked me off for some reason or another. The weirdest thing was the video about 'rent a pet' next to it. I've heard of that before but really?

[Shetlander]

I'm going to skip reading the article. That attitude is so distressing. Animals, like babies and small children, are completely at our mercy. Anyone who would cavalierly recommend dumping pets at shelters makes me ill. Whatever her history of pet ownership, there couldn't have been much of a bond on her side. Yes, it is true that dogs by and large are very resilient as far as adapting to different owners. That adaptability has stood them in good stead through the centuries, given how thoughtless and cruel those they depend on for their very lives can be.

[mbc1963]

Eeeesh. That makes me SO MAD. I posted a comment, but I'm not sure if it made it up there. I'll copy it here:

 

Oh, Donna Freedman, shame on you!

 

Had you only encouraged families to avoid getting a pet they can't afford and can't commit to, I might be praising you. We don't take our responsibilities to other living things seriously enough, and I hate to see families adopt dogs with no plan to care for them physically and emotionally.

 

But to encourage families to dump pets after making a commitment to them? Horrifying.

 

I was a dog-loving child. The emotions I felt for my dog were, in my tender years, akin to the emotions adults feel for their babies. I had two primary fears in early adolescence: the premature death of a parent or sibling, and the inevitable death of my dog. I would have chosen to move to a smaller house, share a bedroom with my two sisters, and never buy another record album before I would have chosen to give up my dog. If my parents had chosen a larger house with more bedrooms over my dog's life, I would have felt that they had betrayed the moral values they taught me. (And yes, Donna, most dogs who are brought to the shetler are killed, not rehomed. Most dogs can't live without their families.)

 

I can't imagine a parent who wants that to be the message they teach their children: that family members are disposable; that when they become inconvenient, we just throw them away; that material things are more important than living things and commitment.

 

I always wonder, when people dump their dogs at shelters for financial reasons – what human conveniences and luxuries did they give up before they tossed the pet? So, let's rewrite the article from a more committed and humane viewpoint:

 

Things You Should Give Up Before You Abandon the Pet You Promised to Love and Protect:

 

1. Expensive Cable TV: $39.99 per month, average.

Cheapo, local-only cable: $10.40/month.

No cable: $0.00 per month.

 

What you can buy for your dog with your savings:

Taste of the Wild Grain-Free Kibble (high-end!): $38 for a 30-lb bag, which feeds a medium-sized dog for 2 – 3 months.

 

2. Cell Phone Plans: $600 per year (low-end) to $1800 per year (high-end, with texting, etc.)

TracFone service: $60/year (Low-end, minimal calling – seriously, that's what I spend, with minutes left over.)

 

What you can buy for your dog with your savings:

Average healthy-dog veterinary care: $300 - $500/year.

 

3. Music for your two teenagers:

 

300 downloads from iTunes: $387 X 2 = $774

Medium-qualtiy iPod: $100 X 2 = $200

Total = $974

Allowing the teenagers to babysit and rake leaves until they can afford their own music: $0. (And actually, let's throw in a net gain of, say, $500 for the invaluable lessons about delayed gratification, hard work, and knowing that it's a tough, cold world where Mommy and Daddy won't bail them out all the time.)

 

What you can buy for your dog with your savings:

Emergency surgery, stitching up, antibiotics, and follow-up care for a hypothetical dog - not my dog; he's not that dumb! - who hypothetically runs into a stick while frolicking in the woods, stabbing himself in the chest: $800.

 

4. New Honda CR-V: $23,500; use for 5 years = $4,700/year

5-year-old Toyota Corolla: $8,995; use for 5 years = $1799/year.

 

What you can buy for your dog with your savings: Wow! You can take in grandma's Yorkie, and make him a friend for your dog. Then Grandma can still see him sometimes, even though she's moving into an assisted living community. That will make her so happy!

 

5. Your Credit Cards: Cost on a $10,000 balance at 10% = $13,777 over 16 years

Cost on a 10,000 balance at 20% = 22,241 over 25 years.

Cost of buying something with $10,000 cash: $10,000.

 

What you can buy for your dog and Grandma's dog with your savings:

Fur coats, caviar, manicures, and spa treatments.

 

There are always smaller houses, smaller cars, and less expensive food. There is never, never another family member to replace a pet carelessly tossed away - and there is rarely another family waiting to take in the abandoned pet.

[kajarrel]

That should really be another article, mbc - very nicely written retort!

 

Thanks for posting the response that says so well what I (and probably many people here) believe!

 

Kim

[painted_ponies]

That should really be another article, mbc - very nicely written retort!

 

Thanks for posting the response that says so well what I (and probably most people here) believe!

 

Kim

 

Yep. What she said.^^

[Shetlander]

1. Expensive Cable TV: $39.99 per month, average.

Cheapo, local-only cable: $10.40/month.

No cable: $0.00 per month.

 

 

Excellent response, but expensive Cable around here often runs closer to $100 a month with premium channels and DVR rental. The $40.00 a month is a great deal for limited time before costs get jacked. The cheapest packages are around $30.00 last time I checked.

[mbc1963]

Excellent response, but expensive Cable around here often runs closer to $100 a month with premium channels and DVR rental. The $40.00 a month is a great deal for limited time before costs get jacked. The cheapest packages are around $30.00 last time I checked.

 

LOL! Yeah, I figured cable usually ran higher - but a Google search showed that $39.99 was the average cost for a typical home. I was trying not to inflate my savings.

 

And the $10.40 plan - Comcast doesn't tell you about it. You have to ask about it. I never knew it existed until a friend at work told me. It basically just gives clear reception on the same old channels we used to get when I was a kid. I miss HGTV, and that's really about it. There's always a DVD at the library, and even NetFlix (which I get during the summer, when I'm on teacher-vacation) is cheaper than cable, and I can watch when I want.

 

Mary

[G. Festerling]

Excellent post Mary!

 

What bothers me the most, are the people that will take an article (that to me is a good article to read BEFORE you bring a pet into the home) like this and will use it as an excuse to dump a living, breathing part of the family.

[Shetlander]

And the $10.40 plan - Comcast doesn't tell you about it. You have to ask about it. I never knew it existed until a friend at work told me. It basically just gives clear reception on the same old channels we used to get when I was a kid.

 

Interesting, because I specifically asked for the lowest package and it was close to $30. But we don't have any competition for cable in this area so Comcast does pretty much whatever it wants. I now own two digital converter boxes which provide a fantastic picture of those basic channels we had as kids. I don't want TV enough to justify anything else. Though I am a recent convert to Netflix.

[DebC]

Excellent post, Mary! Thanks for putting into words exactly what I was thinking when I read that article!!

Also, about the low cost cable - I had to call TimeWarner 3x, talking to 3 different sales people, before they would even admit to having a "Basic" cable package (I only knew they had one because my sis had it).

Now, I pay more for satellite (still well under 100$) but I would give it up in a heartbeat if it was a choice between keeping it, or the dogs.

It's just a shame the way people are so ME ME ME oriented - the only point in the article I agreed with was that you shouldn't even think of getting a pet if your financial situation is so shakey.

Ultimately, the pet seems to always pay the price........

[pansmom]

Oh, Donna Freedman, shame on you...

 

Loved this, thanks for posting. I wish they would run that! My husband and I are not rich - I'm a college instructor who's only gotten one raise since starting two years ago, and the pay doesn't start high in Louisiana, and he's a graduate student who only gets a small stipend - but we are able to keep three pets (two cats and a dog) and even own our home, by rejecting cable, checking out free audio books from the library, sharing a car, and taking on freelance/contract gigs whenever there are emergency vet bills. And yet if you ask me, the happiness our pets bring makes us way richer than I would feel if we had the equal value of material things instead. In fact, without pets, to be honest, I am kind of miserable.

[Ooky]

That article was filled with so many false dilemmas it was ridiculous. I love how she starts off by using the rhetoric of "I can just hear the pet owners screaming now...." (yeah, us stupid, emotional, nutty people more used to thinking with our "hearts rather than our heads") in a clumsy attempt to discredit any argument against her position before she begins. Then she sets the rest of the article up as a false choice of either: you're out on the streets living in a culvert with your dog (?!?!) vs. ... hmmm. She doesn't really say. She implies the alternate is you give up your pets and then your financial position is just fine. Like any pet is the TRUE difference between living in a culvert and everything being ducky.

 

That was a great post, Mary. I wonder if it was one of the posts that was removed?

[theshine]

I agree that an article about how to reduce some of the high costs of pet ownership would have been so much more helpful. We have just recently been there and done that, my husband lost his job and I was only working part time...the very first thing we did was quit going out to eat and make some cuts to the grocery budget. The next things to go were lawn care service and pest control service, followed by cable, then cell phones. We were going to go down to one car, but in the end I just decided to up my hours to full time instead. On the pet front, I bought cheaper dog food...instead of spending $35 on a bag that lasts 1 month, I now spend $22 on a 50 lb bag of dog chow that lasts 2 months. I found out that adult dogs don't need annual vaccines and in most places don't need flea and HW prev year round. I found out that you can save alot of money on Frontline and Interceptor by buying it online. Last year I wrote a check to my vet for $730 for well dog check ups and preventatives for 3 dogs without batting an eye...this year so far I've spent less than $300...just rabies shots at a low cost clinic at $8 bucks a pop, and HW and flea preventative....and we have four dogs now instead of three.

[jamesqf]

1. Expensive Cable TV: $39.99 per month, average.

 

Going by ads & conversations with neighbors, $39.99/month is cheap for cable. And don't forget the cost of the big-screen TV, and the extra bucks on your power bill for keeping that going all evening.

 

And a few other suggestions: How about those cigarettes, soft drinks, and beer? All the packaged chips & dips you munch on? That'd feed your dog for a week - and believe me, any conceivable amount of vet care is STILL cheaper than your chemotherapy would be :-)

 

Come to think about it, having a dog or two is probably a net savings, figured over a lifetime. Take the critter out for the proper walks, hikes, and ball-chasing keeps you in shape, saving an uncounted amount in medical bills. Not to mention the cost of antidepressants...

 

5. Your Credit Cards: Cost on a $10,000 balance at 10% = $13,777 over 16 years

Cost on a 10,000 balance at 20% = 22,241 over 25 years.

Cost of buying something with $10,000 cash: $10,000.

 

Now this one I have to disagree with. Get one of the cash-back (or other reward-type cards), pay the bill in full every month. Then if you average say $1000 in charges, that's an extra $10/month.

[diane allen]

Let's see here....I have no TV, cable or otherwise....and I pay my credit card bills when the bill arrives. Hmmm...guess that's how I can "afford" to keep my dogs well! And they do stay well because, as jamesqf says, we exercise. Sheesh.

 

I even "donate" daily by going to www.animalrescuesite.com and clicking once - http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickTo...ges-text_Bottom

to give 0.6 bowl of food to rescued animals. Free, only takes a second....have that link set up as your home page, and do it daily!

 

diane

[sluj]

That was a great post, Mary. I wonder if it was one of the posts that was removed?

 

ditto,and it should be more widely read. I don't know it MSN would post it, but another easy option to get it seen is get it on 'best of craigslist' - you'd have to post it, say to rants and raves, and give us the link. It should only take 3 or 4 of us to nominate it to 'best-of'.

[bn_here_b4]

I read that lame-a$$ article too. The only redeeming thing about it was that it made me pause a moment to be thankful that I am working and able to take care of my whole family. I also thought about things I would give up in a heartbeat before I would let my kids or pets do without something they need. Cell phones, cable, my addiction to Bath & Body Works soaps... All of it could go and I wouldn't miss it a bit.

 

To add to some of the savings ideas y'all posgted -

 

A cheap replacement for cable as long as you have internet is www.hulu.com. I watch TV shows and movies on that website at least 2 or 3 times a week. They have a large selection of both new and old programming and it is free.