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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

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Original poster

What would happen to your dog if something happened to you?

15 replies

RedwingWinter · 10/06/2012 17:19

Have you made plans for how your dogs (and other pets) would be looked after? Not wanting to be morbid or anything, but there is a sad situation unfolding near where I live where someone is no longer able to look after their dog. I don't want to go into details, and the dog is safe for now, but the longer term isn't clear. It serves as a reminder to think about who would look after your animals in a worst case scenario.

OP posts:

D0oinMeCleanin · 10/06/2012 17:23

Very good post.

My whippy has half a million people lining up to rehome her from us (she was briefly up for rehoming and we were in the process of finding a rescue to assist when we and half the town fell for her) I would probably give her to my youngest sister as she would be best placed to care properly for her. If DH was still here he'd keep her.

My terrier is a different kettle of fish altogether. I would hope given how much work my family know I have put into him and how bonded we are, they would keep him, as it is what I would want. The rescue co-ordinator I foster from luffs him, so if my family wouldn't keep him I would hope she would.

Original poster

RedwingWinter · 10/06/2012 17:27

I could look after your whippy for you any time ;)

I have a friend who would look after mine short-term, and I would do the same for her. Dog2 is still a bit of a handful at times though. I know my family couldn't help (though obviously DH would if he was still around). But the dogs and cats are all from good rescues that would take them back and rehome if it was needed.

OP posts:

wildfig · 10/06/2012 17:27

I've already had a conversation with the friend who looks after my dogs while I'm away; I trust her to find good homes for them both if anything happened to me/DP. Their breeder would also have them back in a flash. I can't bear the thought of them not being somewhere they wouldn't be loved as much as they are here, and it puts my mind at rest a bit to know she'd take care of them. Although touch wood it'll never come to that, I'm a bit of a doom merchant and at least this is one thing less to get doomy about!

D0oinMeCleanin · 10/06/2012 17:35

Arrangements were made for our family parrot when we got him, because they live so bloody long they always go through more than one home.

Now I am older I am at the arrangements made for him, which was to get a 10yo me to agree to look after him once my parents are unable. Now I have met DH he is at the arrangements made, but a promise is a promise so he will have to suck it up .

Dd1 will have him after me.

TheCunnyFunt · 10/06/2012 19:04

Don't think I know anyone who would take Sprocket (greyhound), maybe one of the ladies around the corner from us would take him as they are pointy enthusiasts and are both on love with him. DP wouldn't keep him as he works fulltime. If either of the ladies didn't want/couldn't have him then he'd have to go back to the rescue :(

TheCunnyFunt · 10/06/2012 19:12

D0oin how old is the parrot? My mums friend has a green parroty (Macaw?) bird, he's ace, must be at least 10yo! His owner is welsh so the bird speaks with a welsh accent :o his name is Jaffa.

D0oinMeCleanin · 10/06/2012 20:18

He's a blue and yellow Macaw. He'll be almost 20 now, so should have another 30 or so years with us

TheCunnyFunt · 10/06/2012 20:22

Oooh around same age as me then! Although I'm 21 on saturday.
They live so long! DP's friends mum has an 80yo Tortoise. He's been passed down a few times :o
Does he speak?

textpest · 10/06/2012 20:25

My MiL and Mother would have a custody battle to the death for him. If neither of them could take him my brother would, they worship each other but I think textmutt would be much less spoiled!!

D0oinMeCleanin · 10/06/2012 20:27

The babysitters taught him "Fuck off" when we were young , he also says "Hello", "Come in" (interesting when salesmen call while you are getting dressed "Help me Mum!" "G'is a dance, Max" after which he will give you a dance, he particularly likes We Will Rock You, which he can sing and he recently learned "Scruff, get down. Leave it Scruff. Scruff!" Scruff is better known as The Devil Dog on here

TheCunnyFunt · 10/06/2012 20:37

:o cool! I'd love a parrot but they're quite hard work aren't they? The welsh one I know says 'Hello', 'I'm going now!' and his owner is an SGI buddhist, and he chants along with her, so he also says 'nam myoho renge kyo'. All in a welsh accent :o

D0oinMeCleanin · 10/06/2012 20:52

They're not hardwork, as such, but it's hard to get it right, iyswim?

He has recently been built a tree in my parent's living room because boredom was causing him to pluck out his own feathers. Most of what you can buy for them is either wholly unsuitable and unsafe or extortionatly expensive, in terms of toys and cages, they're very smart birds and need entertainment to keep them sane. Luckily we live near a beach and my Dad is quite handy so he has new trees built occassionally from drift wood and rope.

The newest one is big they can't buy materials to build a cage big enough to cover it, so he is now free range.

It's also quite hard and expensive to give them the correct diet. Regular parrot food which you can buy in pet shops is not always the correct thing for them, especially as they tend to be fussy and like us will lean towards foods that are not always right for them. He had an infection in his gullet a few years ago caused by eating too many monkey nuts and not much else, which he was picking out of commercial foods and leaving the rest. He now has a mix of three different foods, to ensure he gets the right nutrients and monkey nuts are given only as a treat.

Finding vetinary care can be hard because not many vets have the expertise to deal with exotic birds if the problem is not straight forward.

bochead · 10/06/2012 21:35

I need to think about this one again. My current arrangements aren't workable as my son would raise hell.

Basically if summat happens to me then child goes to sis & dog goes to a dog loving friend who'd be thrilled to have her (dog sits for us when we go away etc so knows the dog). Cat goes to other, cat lady sis.

It's a fantastic arrangement on paper BUT separating my son from his pets would be a BAD idea, especially if the worst had happened to me.

TheCunnyFunt · 11/06/2012 13:36

Blimey a tree in the living room? Now that I'd like to see :o

Is he friendly then? The one I know will divebomb people if he's loose and there is someone else there apart from his owner.

perryperryperry · 11/06/2012 13:53

I was thinking about this just the other day.

If me and my OH were both wiped off the face of the earth tomorrow I know with 100% confidence that my in-laws would have our older dog, as he lived with them before when OH was working away, and are FOREVER offering to have him live with them again.

There's no shortage of people in love with my little dog, but I suspect my SiL would end up with her, particularly as her own two dogs are into their mid-teens now.

I'm lucky to have such a doggy family!

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