To think anyone who goes on to a frozen pond to rescue a dog is stupid?

[KimiLivesInStarbucks]

On tonights news two more people have dies trying to save dogs Every time we get a bit of cold weather and Ice we hear these tragic stories of people dying after falling through the ice trying to save a dog.

I like dogs as much as the next person but a dog is replaceable.

So sad for the families,

Will someone admit to bringing their pet out while they were evacuating a fire? ANYONE??

raindroprhyme , which is if you can't afford treatment?! Put the dog to sleep or pass on the problem to someone else by rehoming it?

Perhaps if a few less people saw it as 'only a dog' then we wouldn't have a situation in this country where 25,000 are being put to sleep every year because there are no homes for them.

Owning a dog is a priveledge, not a right and if you can't afford one, and that includes either insurance or vet treatment, then you shouldn't have one.

Blah blah, situation changes etcetcetc

I went from being a double income family to being a single parent on benefits. Should I have immediately had my cat euthanised just in case she got too ill for me to afford to fix her?

i'd do it, my heart would overrule my head i'm afraid

Thinking about mrmellors point about dogs having no qualms about eating a dead owner - am I right in thinking that the French lady who had the first face transplant passed out one evening at home and woke up to find the dog had eaten her face? It didn't even wait for her to die before tucking in.

I really can't imagine sacrificing my children's future for a pet.

coldtits it's a case of priorities, isn't it?! I recently thought I might end up single, and giving up my pets, or compromusing on their care wouldn't have been an option, any more than giving up my children or compromising on their care would. I made a commitment when I got my pets, especially my dogs, and I took on their commitment for their lvies, nto just until it was no longer convenient to me.

Insurance can be bought quite cheaply, especially for cats, and that would then cover vets fees.

Yes, situations change, but insurance can be so inexpensive, I fail to see how anyone who didn't priotritise well couldn't afford it.

I have been a single parent in the past and managed to afford my pets perfectly well, I simply went without other things mysel fin order to afford them. They are my pets for their lives, not just until they are no longer convenient to me.

What beats me is that noone, either in RL or on MN seems to be able to think of a better way of saving someone from a hole in the ice than jumping in. You don't jump in, folks! You crawl on your stomach and push something in front of you that the drowning person/dog can grab hold of.

junglist1 "Will someone admit to bringing their pet out while they were evacuating a fire? ANYONE??"

If our house was on fire, both DH and I would be focussed on getting DS and ourselves out of the house. I would probably leave the door open after me and hope that my cat managed to get out.

But I wouldn't spend any time looking for her and I wouldn't go back in (or allow DH to) to try to rescue her.

That's not the attitude I have towards my pets, Midori, because I feel it would be grossly hypocritical to preserve the life of one animal at all costs, whilst cooking a well raised chicken for tea every week

piprabbit that french lady had had some kind of fit/passed out, the dog was trying to wake her and ended up clawing her face off.. Afaik she still has the dog.

As far as the OP I'm not sure. rationally I know stupid to go in after the dog but I don't know if I could stop myself. In fact I'm under strict instructions from DH not to go into the river after the dog if he gets himself into trouble.

If I was walking the dds in the pram by the river and the dog needed rescuing then I wouldn't go in but if I was by myself I probably would.

End result is the same though. Motherless children.

Have not read all the thread, but i would jump in after my dogs, they are part of my family. I think it is silly that the dog's were not trained to recall or if not be on a lead.

"That's not the attitude I have towards my pets, Midori, because I feel it would be grossly hypocritical to preserve the life of one animal at all costs, whilst cooking a well raised chicken for tea every week"

So, would you not pay for veterinary treatment because you can't afford it, or don't think it is ethical to provide expensive veterinary treatment to your pets because you eat meat?!

I'd do it. No way could I let an animal I care for freeze and drown. Stupid? Yes probably.

midori1999, I agree with you that people shouldn't get a pet if they don't plan to look after it properly. (barring sudden changes in circumstances)

But I don't think that 25,000 dogs are getting put down because of those of us who see them as animals. I for one have never contributed to that number.

I think those are because people put their emotional need for pets beyond sensible considerations like the cost and effort of keeping it after christmas.

I wouldn't put my family into discomfort to provide medical treatment for an animal (and by discomfort I mean being unable to provide food, heat, and medical treatment such as painkillers for THEM), although I would of course never leave an animal hungry or in pain.

If it was a choice between denying my children a balanced diet or having an injured pet euthanised I would have the pet euthanised. I would attempt to rehome her first, and would be very sad, but they are a luxury. While I can afford to keep her in a pleasant manner, I will.

Dogs ARE animals

So ARE humans.

Well we are yes. Though sometimes we say animal to mean non-human.

Using it that way children are our species and animals are not and I am speciest and happy to be so.

My species may it always be right, but my species right or wrong.

Yes i know onagar. I just think saying that 'they are animals' in that way draws a firm line when in reality that line isn't always distinct or straight. My cat died last year. I cried and cried. My parents' neighbour died soon after and I was sad and offered my condolences to his widow - but I didn't cry. I don't think that makes me monstrous or unusual.

I don't really have anything against pets and I can understand people getting attached to them. I just often find myself arguing that they are 'only animals' in response to some pet owners trying to convince me that they are people.

If I was speaking to a farmer who said it was ok to put them in small cages it would probably go the other way. I'd be the one sticking up for them because I don't like cruelty.

I do actually like animals. I just think they look better in the wild than shut in someone's kitchen and howling.

I suppose really what I dislike is irresponsible pet owners not the animals themselves.

I love my dog. She annoys the shit out of me but I love her, we all do but I wouldn't want to risk my life for her.

But when you're in that situation who knows what goes through your mind, maybe these people didn't realise how dangerous it would be and thought there was a chance that they could get the dog out.

The thought of standing watching your pet struggling and maybe to die is horrible, so I can understand why someone would want to go after it, but the only people I would risk my life for is my children (sorry dh!).

Onagar is right: They are animals. Helpful animals you might like to think are friends, but animals nonetheless.

if my dog ever fell in to a frozen pond ,much as i love my dog theres no way i wpould jump in after her !!!

The 2 menioned in here are bloody stupid too.