Why do people buy animals that can’t afford to keep!

[Poppets14]

Exactly that!

My friend has just spent 2.5k on a french bulldog. She’s just been ranting at me about the cost of vet treatment (I work for a vet)

She’s moaning that the vaccinations flea and worm treatment has come to £100

So she’s happy to give a breeder 2.5k without blinking an eye but to spend £100 on health care is a problem!

Not sure what response I want really. I get so cross about people spending thousands on puppies and then moaning about the cost of vet treatment!

I agree that people should think more seriously about the cost of owning a dog, I don't think licenses would help though as it would only be the responsible owners that bothered to get one - and they are already aware of the costs, have had dog training lessons and have insurance. It wouldn't be policed so would be pointless.

We have a dog, bought as a puppy during lockdown for £1.3k, but it's our third dog and we are aware of the expense (apart from it's our first cocker spaniel and I didn't realise how much grooming they need!)

I agree with @Jayne35 that licenses for dogs. All they would be is a useless tax on responsible dog owners.

@Hodgehog

We need a licence to own any live animal. As posts here have shown people who seem otherwise to have a degree of sense with other animals don’t think or realise smaller animals need proper care and medical treatment too.

A hamster tax? I have heard it all now.

Sorry to frivol, but does that mean someibe from the DEFRA will come and remove unlicensed headlice?

@Hodgehog

We need a licence to own any live animal. As posts here have shown people who seem otherwise to have a degree of sense with other animals don’t think or realise smaller animals need proper care and medical treatment too.

Yes, completely agree. The animals suffer, particularly those bought from puppy farms and BYB.

Definitely seen posters on here refusing to take small animals like hamsters to the vet.

We’ve always somehow ended up with rescue animals . The cats that were abandoned by our neighbours who buggered off to Spain one January having got fed up of trying to live the good life , leaving behind dogs , cats, turkeys , you name it . One now refuses to leave the house and spends his time asleep on my daughters bed . The other two live in my neighbour’s houses , being similarly spoiled . The five problem horses I’ve taken out of the hands of people with more money than sense , over the years . The Redwings pony I’m now a guardian to . The two new ferals who alternate between hissing ferociously at me , or trying to climb on me for dinner , and who have taken to sleeping in my porch at night .

But I’ve never taken an animal on , without doing the costings first . The dogs are insured to the hilt , including dental , and I make damn sure all their jabs and checks are up to date so the insurance pays out . Likewise I know that even for two field ornaments , I’m still looking at £40 a week in feed and hay replacer mash for the toothless 43 year old , and £60 a month in feet trims , and I know that’s mates rates . Plus £40 a month in hay . I don’t scrimp because that way lies disaster .

But others do . One of my other neighbours is a horse hoarder . She has 10 animals on 2 acres of land . She does nothing with them . I know they haven’t had their feet looked at in over 6 months , because she’s blacklisted by every farrier for miles for not paying her bills . Likewise our local hay merchant doesn’t drop the hay till he’s got the cash in his hand. And yet she professes to be an expert , with about a dozen dogs too .

And yet her kids breakfast is Weetabix and water because she can’t afford milk . I’ve fed her kids more lately ( my dcs are friends and they come to visit ) than I think she has . Did I report her to social services . Yes I bloody well did and I don’t care if she finds out . She should lose the animals and look after those poor kids .

@plominoagain

We’ve always somehow ended up with rescue animals . The cats that were abandoned by our neighbours who buggered off to Spain one January having got fed up of trying to live the good life , leaving behind dogs , cats, turkeys , you name it . One now refuses to leave the house and spends his time asleep on my daughters bed . The other two live in my neighbour’s houses , being similarly spoiled . The five problem horses I’ve taken out of the hands of people with more money than sense , over the years . The Redwings pony I’m now a guardian to . The two new ferals who alternate between hissing ferociously at me , or trying to climb on me for dinner , and who have taken to sleeping in my porch at night .

But I’ve never taken an animal on , without doing the costings first . The dogs are insured to the hilt , including dental , and I make damn sure all their jabs and checks are up to date so the insurance pays out . Likewise I know that even for two field ornaments , I’m still looking at £40 a week in feed and hay replacer mash for the toothless 43 year old , and £60 a month in feet trims , and I know that’s mates rates . Plus £40 a month in hay . I don’t scrimp because that way lies disaster .

But others do . One of my other neighbours is a horse hoarder . She has 10 animals on 2 acres of land . She does nothing with them . I know they haven’t had their feet looked at in over 6 months , because she’s blacklisted by every farrier for miles for not paying her bills . Likewise our local hay merchant doesn’t drop the hay till he’s got the cash in his hand. And yet she professes to be an expert , with about a dozen dogs too .

And yet her kids breakfast is Weetabix and water because she can’t afford milk . I’ve fed her kids more lately ( my dcs are friends and they come to visit ) than I think she has . Did I report her to social services . Yes I bloody well did and I don’t care if she finds out . She should lose the animals and look after those poor kids .

It makes me feel ill seeing perfectly lovely animals in need of rescue overlooked for pedigree animals. Mine are all rescues too. My local park is awash with cockerpoos in Burberry harnesses.

But with rescue it's that age old problem of lots of people not fitting the bill- we have a rescue spaniel but that was done through 'this dog needs a home' friends. If we went to rescue now we'd be turned away from most because we have a small child and (dog savvy) cats, we don't have 6ft panel fencing all round our sizeable garden and we use a dog walker two days a week in term time when DP is in the office. The fact we've already got a dog that we've had to do a bit of rehab with and the vets would happily give references that he gets all his entitlements wouldn't cut much mustard I'm sure.

@Heyha

But with rescue it's that age old problem of lots of people not fitting the bill- we have a rescue spaniel but that was done through 'this dog needs a home' friends. If we went to rescue now we'd be turned away from most because we have a small child and (dog savvy) cats, we don't have 6ft panel fencing all round our sizeable garden and we use a dog walker two days a week in term time when DP is in the office. The fact we've already got a dog that we've had to do a bit of rehab with and the vets would happily give references that he gets all his entitlements wouldn't cut much mustard I'm sure.

Agree that a lot of rescues, especially the big national players, have become unreasonable in their demands. My moggies come from a small local place that's much more sensible. The main condition is that if the rehoming doesn't work out, they have to come back to where they were originally rehomed from, which I think is fair. Not that it's going to happen to my two.

I don't think that it's just dogs. Rabbits are the cost of a small dog which is why so many are up for rehoming. I think that it's something that should be addressed in schools.
My DD'S friend took her children to the fair and came back with goldfish. My DD already had unused tank but it still cost me £15 to set it up. The friend's attitude was 'they're only fish'.