To be so upset they have got another dog.

[Afternooninthepark]

I know this is out of my control and really nothing to do with me but I am so angry and upset.
My Dh’s sister and her partner have been together for 12 years. During that time they have had 6 dogs and only kept one long term. First, they had two Yorkies but got rid after a few months as they were too yappy, then came a small mixed breed pup but they got rid of her after a year as she pulled over one of the kids when he was walking her, next came a pug which they kept until he died at 8, then a cockerpoo pup but got rid at 4 months as he was too hyper and that upset the pug!, then last year (after the pug died) they got a Weimaraner pup but she went after 6 months as she was getting too big ffs!!
I’m a real dog lover and it absolutely boils my blood every time they get a new dog without any thought and I’m even more incandescent when they rehome them and don’t give it a second thought.
Dh told me yesterday they have just gone and got another puppy last week.
I am bloody fuming.

This would upset me too.

I could understand to some extent someone getting a dog for the first time and deciding to rehome it because they'd underestimated the work involved (I'd think they'd researched poorly but in a way nothing can prepare you for your first dog) but not to do this multiple times.

YANBU.

I have a dog who is now on his fourth owner, in large part due to this sort of fuckwittery (who buys a puppy and doesn't even teach it to sit before it's a year old ffs?). There's no evidence he was abused, but certainly he didn't have all his needs met.

He certainly came to me traumatised by all the upheaval; I don't think I realised just how traumatised he was at the time. I just accepted some aspects of his personality and behaviour as being part of his character rather than being something he'd later get over (e.g. it took him about a year to regularly seek affection from me, rather than just having his ball thrown). I don't think he'll ever fully be 'over' what he went through in his first year - he'll always be an anxious dog to some extent.

I'd love to give his first owners a piece of my mind. Utter twats.

@Afternooninthepark please pass on the phone number of The Red Foundation to your SIL when she inevitably wants to rehome her dachshund. They are totally non-judgmental and will find the poor little sausage an amazing home. Dachshunds are very difficult to house train and if you get one that’s so-inclined, they will bark at everything. I’m so sick of seeing dachshund puppies being sold by backyard breeders and puppy farms to anyone who will hand over the ridiculous amount of cash they now command. They are not an easy breed to look after, and people who do no research deserve everything they bloody get; sadly often at the expense of the dog’s health and well-being 😥.

@AvocadosBeforeMortgages that’s absolutely heartbreaking. I’m glad your dog has finally found their forever home.

I don’t see how calling people scum, flouncing around refusing to talk to you’re family and denouncing the RSPCA is taking an interest in the welfare of animals to be honest. But perhaps it has something to do with the fact that people who do these kinds of things need to be reminded that they clearly have no interest in the welfare of animals.

And I would make my opinions known to them to their face and if they never spoke to me again then I’d consider it a job well done.

It may not be possible for these people to be stopped from treating animals as disposable commodities but it is certainly possible to make it known that this kind of behaviour is deemed unacceptable on a societal level.

I used to have an African grey parrot. For anyone who has ever owned one, you will know that they are hard work and demand a lot of time and attention. For anyone who has never owned one,don’t, they’re hard work and demand a lot of time and attention.

I loved my parrot dearly, but when I fell ill 3.5 years ago I was simply not able to give him the time and attention he needed. He lived with my parents for a while but realistically he deserved a better life and so I reluctantly had to rehome him. but I refused to rehome him to an individual person where I couldn’t be sure he would be looked after,so I found a parrot sanctuary which is situated in a wildlife park where the parrots all live together among their own kind,and where they are never rehomed,and my parents made a 9 hour round trip to take him there.

It broke my heart but I know that I did what was best for him. But I wouldn’t then go out and buy another one or any other bird for that matter.

If you need to rehome an animal once then you need to look at the reasons why, and preferably learn from them that owning such an animal is not for you.

I would never have rehomed my parrot if I hadn’t fallen ill. I’d already had him for nine years,but then I ended up in and out of hospital,and it just wasn’t possible to be there for him in a way which he needed me to be.

@gingersausage He's certainly found that! He's currently snoozing away on my bed with his head on my pillow.

He's bitten me (it wasn't about me, but he's drawn blood), caused a scene in public on more occasions than I could even begin to count, landed DF in A&E (not due to a bite), spent six months refusing to let visitors in after a house move that really unsettled him, got into a few dog scraps (not for a long time now) and inbetween all the lovely bits of his personality he's been a total knob on more occasions than I care to count.

I sometimes get people in the park commenting on what a nice / calm / well behaved dog he is .

He's still here to stay!

Beautiful3 I think she gets them off the pets4homes site, with a name like that I can’t imagine there are many reputable breeders on there!
gingersausage thanks, I will do but to be honest I would happily give the poor little thing a home myself infact I would have rehomed many of other myself but they don’t communicate with me over these things (as they probably know my opinion).
Avocados that’s so sad.

I too despair of people who get rid of their pets when they aren't the perpetually cuddly bundles of fun that they expect. My Patterdale hates going out in the rain. I actually bought a house with tiled floors especially, because I was sick of mopping carpets - so she just sneaks upstairs and uses the landing carpet...

but she's mine for life, as were my previous dogs. She's horrible, but she's MY horrible. I try to educate as many people as possible when they are thinking of getting a dog, as to what it's REALLY like, but if they won't listen at least I can think I did my best.

I would also worry about where they are re-homing them.

I can't imagine that they are being very choosey about who gets them - the first to come up with the cash (or to offer to take them, if they want rid in a hurry) will get them, I expect.

Poor dogs could end up going from home to home and never finding one where they are loved, or even being bred into the ground.

A bit different, my dd and her dp got 2 kittens a few years ago. When they had dgs the cats came to stay with me for a few weeks then went home (mind you I think dd’s dp was hoping I would keep them). Roll on 2 years, cats (house cats) are shut in utility room at night and when nobody in house, as cats are messing in house and chewing through wires etc. I was asked to look after cats again when dd was 8 months pregnant with dgd, supposedly only till baby was born.

Cats now been here for over 3 years. They never mess, apart from in litter tray. They have the run of the house and they have turned into loving friendly cats (instead of scared ones running away from everyone.

At start of lockdown dgs asked if they could have their cats back. My answer was no way in hell were they going back! I hadn’t particularly wanted them, but they are happy and healthy here and definitely not going back there!

Ive had my ddog 8yrs and would never rehome him i made a commitment to him to look after him forever when i adopted him. I rescued a 5yo spanish street dog and had her for almost a year but she destroyed my house (literally) and i had to give her back to the rescue she just wasnt an indoor dog... the rescue crucified me when i got my drelatives pup as how dare i get another dog after giving the other one back? I tried my best with spanish ddog but i couldnt take anymore of them pissing and shitting everywhere even after a long walk and chewing anything their paws came to touch and i had to put my son first so they had to go im afraid but thats genuine reason to give back not that i got bored of said dog

Yanbu.
I'm tempted to fall out with my older Dsis they had a beautiful dog De Bordeaux for 7 years, her OH insisted on a large breed he walked her the first year and nothing after that.
Her kidneys failed though they should have brought her to the vet many times, she is thinking of getting another large dog.
I'll give out stink when she tries.
She needs a phone watch alarm not an animal with feelings.

I hate people like that.
Some people just dont think at all about how animals feel. The dogs are just another toy to be got rid of when no longer exciting. I dont think you can fix people like that.

I wouldn't be having anything to do with people like that and I'd make it quite clear why. Animal welfare (and calling out poor welfare) is the one red line that I'll sacrifice human friendships to maintain, always. Poor you OP being in this position. They sound horrific, though sadly I fear not unique.

Wow, what a dreadful state of affairs this is, I can never understand the mentality of people who would do such things like this..They keep wanting to swap and change dogs, but know absolutely nothing about dogs. It's a pity that people like this,can't be stopped from owning any dogs.

YANBU. I can’t stand perpetual dog rehomers. I live next door to one and it boils my blood that they change their breed of dog willy nilly. They’ve just gotten a new one in lockdown and she stands on the driveway holding it like a toy. It’s also a very desirable breed and probably bred irresponsibly.

I hate this. My little rescue dog was bought from a puppy farm by people I knew through friends and then when they found out she's deaf they were going to have her put down, so she came to live with me. She's with me forever. I had a friend who would get dogs from pets4homes, decide she didn't like them or that they were hard work, and either sell them or take them back. Horrible.

This is despicable. I have had to rehome a dog. It was the most difficult decision of our lives and I miss him greatly. But it was the best thing for him and our other dog. We still have weekly updates from his new owner and it had cemented the fact that it was the best thing for him. But I can't stand people who see any animal as disposable.

I wouldn't see them anymore.
Horrible people.

Utter scum. I'd have to tell her what I thought.

I have just lost my elderly dog, am absolutely heartbroken and people like your SIL and her partner make me fucking sick

Why isn't there a blacklist against people like that?
My exh convinced me to get a dog (I'm more a cat person) I ended up doing all the training walking etc and built up a very good bond with her.
Exh then left and didnt take dog, I had to increase my hours to full time meaning there was someone home only 10% of the time instead of 90% of the time. I had no choice but to rehome. I was lucky one of my dear friends could take her on, I knew she had a good history with animals and had only a few months previously lost one of her dogs who she had nursed through a long illness.
That was 8 years ago and my situation has again changed where I could have her back but she is settled there, happy and has another dog to play with. I get to see her semi regular but always see posts on Facebook. It still makes me sad that I had to give her up as it felt like giving up one of my children but theres not a doubt in my mind I did the right thing for her.

I couldn't not say anything. They might stop talking to me forever but I would have at least roasted them to ashes beforehand.

@Sweetiepye

Your a good person. You’d have got them back after lockdown by the sounds of it.

I think that your reason to return your dog was a valid one Macaroni.

TBH, I think the rescue was more at fault putting an obviously anxious animal into a home where there was a child (not that I think your DS was unkind to the dog, but that dogs like that - very difficult early lives, and fully mature when re-homed - often need exclusive attention within the home for a long time, and no-one can provide for those needs when they have a child to care for, too).

The rescue had surely had her fostered before passing her to you - they ought to have been aware of her requirements. And some dogs are just not suitable for re-homing. Not because they are "bad" dogs, but because they have hd to develop a set of skills for street survival which they can't always learn to set aside when they are given a home.

It's very. very sad, but unfortunately it happens.