To think it's not worth risking your life to save a pet?

[Liketochat1]

A few weeks ago a young rugby star, his father and brother died after his dad jumped in a slurry pit to save the family dog. Earlier this week a mum and her partner died jumping into a river to save their dog. They died and the dog survived. Are pets worth this risk?

True. I had to jump in after my dog got tangled in weeds. Fully clothed with my son on the river bank. I was not going to have my dog drown in front of us.
Maybe I was lucky and maybe not but dogs are part of the family.

If a dog was having difficulties in a river, I wouldn't rate my chances of doing any better.

With ref to fast flowing flood water, rather than week entanglement.

If my gecko was in a river I might jump in....

Anyone who puts themselves, and therefore their potential rescuers, in danger by trying to save a pet should be prosecuted.

How many people have lost their lives trying to rescue the morons who've gone onto frozen lakes to 'save' Fido?

Too fucking many.

theninjabreadma really? So you love all your human family equally? The dog that you have put love, sweat and tears into and in return loves you and the family is preferable to to the relative that you hardly know and has poor quality of life. Sorry I know which one I'd save.

Zukiecat has come on many of these sort of threads, and in spite of the slagging off she gets, has never changed her position.
I may not agree with her, but her cats are the most important thing in her life, and I know she battles with MH issues, as does everybody that's 'got to know her' on MN.
Just let her be.

Actually the fact that you are "weighing up" the "love" vs "will I live factor" explains why society is skewed to idiots. As you see from the people that got shot in the head but still saved the lives of many others.
It can be done.You still need to try..,.

allthefun yes, really. I do love my children equally. I have had a dog in the past, I loved her, I was sad when she died, I cried for about half and hour and then I got on with my life. If my child died, I'd probably cry for the rest of my life.

I'm sort of shocked that you think its strange that I would love my children more than I would love a pet. I thought that was normal.

ShellyBoobs Can I not be near you in event of a disaster? Hopefully someone braver will rescue you...

theninjabreadma sure animals die. I am glad you got over so quickly. It is different watching an animal dying in front of you and you doing fuck all to help.

I didn't say anything about doing fuck all to help , I said that people don't go into these situations thinking that they might die.

What I did say was that I am shocked when I hear people saying that they love their pets as much as their children.

I ran back into a burning building to get my cat (i had got all the humans out first). Actually it wasn't as dramatic as it sounds, a flat roof at the back of the flat and a window frame were on fire, nowhere near the room where the cat was, although a bit too close probably to the stairs.

I still got a bolloking from the fireman after though, and quite rightly. That was pre dc though, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't do it now.

Good point actually Shelly, I'll admit I didn't think at all about if I got cut off by the fire about those that would then have had to risk their lives to save me .

Shocked because I had no idea until I read it on mumsnet that some people actually feel that way.

It's actually annoying me that because the majority of people on this thread wouldn't risk their lives for their pets, there are others who are being treated horribly for saying they would and that they love their pets like their children. Of course some people do. And I don't think they should be ridiculed or disbelieved just because it's not a majority opinion.

I get that this is an emotive subject, and I furthermore see why that's the case. But we're getting a lot of 'I'm right, you're wrong' attitudes and that's complete crap.

it doesn't make any difference to me, but that's not a particularly valid point. For example, domestic violence doesn't affect me personally, but that doesn't mean that I don't find it horrible when I read about it affecting someone else.

As for getting out more, I have no idea what you mean. Should I accost random people in the street and ask if they love their pets as much as their children? I know one person in real life who behaves as if she loves her pets more than her children, but she would always deny it if you asked her. She is on the verge of having her children taken into care for neglect.

As for watching TV and reading a little wider. Hmm, what exactly should I be watching on TV that would cover this topic? And I read plenty, but again, not on the topic of people loving their pets as much as they love their children.

I am coming at this from the POV of someone who lost a parent as a teenager due to illness. The loss of a family pet no matter how loved never affected me in the way that losing a parent did.

To lose a parent because they had died trying to rescue a pet would feel to me like such a pointless waste of a life.

in what way am I goading?

How did this get to a thread about pets v children.
Op never mentioned children, it's about how far we would go to save our beloved animals.
And kids aside, if I could save my dog and cats I would probably go with instinct, as did the examples she put on the Op.