Leaving your pet behind (Full Version)

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Manndalin -> Leaving your pet behind (9/7/2005 4:07:15 PM)

I cant imagine the anguish of leaving my pet behind in a situation such as Katrina. They would have to shoot me first before I was forced to leave my pets behind. I realize saving lives come first, but why not let these people take their beloved dog or cat with them too, and have a separate area prepared for animals. I watched a little boy on TV crying so hard he threw up because they wouldnt let his dog on the bus. One of their excuses for not allowing pets is they're afraid for the people with allergies. I think at this point those people wouldnt mind a little boys dog or anyones elses joining them.



MissA -> RE: Leaving your pet behind (9/7/2005 5:26:11 PM)

I'm a HUGE animal person and I have to admit it's especially hard for me to see the news footage of the pets wandering or even swimming around with no owner. But on the other hand we haven't even been able to help all of the people yet let alone the pets. I too wish there could be a separate rescue effort for the animals and I have heard a couple of times in the ongoing news coverage where special concessions were made for pets. For many people pets are their families and I think that should be considered. A tragedy like this will affect man, animal, and environment in ways we can't even fathom yet, I'm just keeping people and pets in my prayers.

~Ms. A~



UtopianRanger -> RE: Leaving your pet behind (9/7/2005 5:27:52 PM)

Copy your sentiments. It's disheartening to see all the dogs and cats with no food, fresh water or companionship, left behind to fend for themselves.

The good news is there are some animal lovers and good samaritans headed to the rescue.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20050907-1412-bn07humane.html


- The Ranger



MissA -> RE: Leaving your pet behind (9/7/2005 5:36:05 PM)

Thank you for sharing that link! This would be a worthwhile cause to donate to while we're all chipping in to the hurricane relief.

~Ms. A~



GoddessDustyGold -> RE: Leaving your pet behind (9/7/2005 6:04:19 PM)

That would be one of the hardest snap decisions for Me to make in a situation like Katrina. I have an elderly dog, and Ms Foxy has three dogs. And yes, they are Her kids. And I love and took responsibility for My little one years and years ago. Do we take them? Can we take them? It would not be easy to grit My teeth and hope for the best. It's terrible, but it's a hard fact of life.
I saw the rescue operations for the pets on the news today, and I am glad the animals are being taken care of. I feel horrible for all the ones who didn't make it. Lots of people didn't make it too.

quote:

but why not let these people take their beloved dog or cat with them too, and have a separate area prepared for animals.


They didn't even have a place ready for the humans. In spite of the warning time. As much as we hate to be this way...people do come first.
As to the little boy...it is hard, and sometimes life is hard. If he could take his dog, because he was so upset, what about the next group? What if there were two more dogs? Not withstanding health reasons and possible allergies for some other evacuees, how do we make that "fair"? Pretty soon there will be 9 dogs and 4 cats on the bus, and 5 people can't ride.
I highly recommend the book "Three Came Home" by Agnes Newton Keith". It's about a family of three who were interned on Borneo during WWII. It is not fiction. Anytime I start getting all down about how difficult I think My personal life is (and we all do that at times!), I re-read that book.
Tough times are relative. If I look back, I should be hard and bitter. I am not. I am a basically happy and very giving person. But I am also a survivor and a realist. I think the point I am trying to make here is that hundreds of thousands of people have been completely displaced. This does happen, unfortunately, generation after generation. Some of it is avoidable...much of it is not. Because we live in such a small world now, we feel that everyone has to have a wonderful life or the rest of us are failing somehow. 40 years ago, you would never have even seen that little boy thowing up on television. A very personal situation, if you ask Me. My question is, why was that given air time in the first place? What was the point? To make us feel worse than we already do?

*Note: all of this relayed in My normal soft-spoken tone. I am not angry.



shylittleheart -> RE: Leaving your pet behind (9/7/2005 6:17:39 PM)

It is so sad seeing these animals left behind. Unfortunately they arent allowed in shelters and so many poor people without transportation has no choice but to leave them. I know in Mississippi around Biloxi they have so many running free roaming, looking for food and water. I also know from speaking with my family who lives in Ocean Springs they have started collecting them placing them in an old shelter and a store which will not reopen, feeding and watering them and there are to vets doing this. Owners who do have their pets are having problems with them biting them now because of the stress that storm put on them. It is sad but could of been so much worse. It will be along time before Miss or Louisana is ever the same or perhaps it never will be the same. Some of my family lost it all some did not, but those who did and even those who are still not found. I understand their feelings for it is the reason I know longer live in the gulf coast, I once lost everything too. This storm teaches us, the simple things in life are so easy to loose and in all honesty only God knows what our lives may be. God Bless each of those dealing with this horror.

shy



FangsNfeet -> RE: Leaving your pet behind (9/7/2005 9:18:44 PM)

Animal Planet channel is taking donations to help the animals. They have there own webiste that you can find under search.

In any case, if I knew no one was going to take my pet or if it wasn't going to taken care of by the POUND, then I would atleast have the decentcy to put him out of his missery myself before leaving.



Gauge -> RE: Leaving your pet behind (9/7/2005 10:31:35 PM)

OK... I am going to strap in and get ready to get blasted for this, but here goes...

Look, I love animals. I have owned pets in my lifetime and they have enriched my life in ways I would never imagine. This would be a tough choice to abandon a pet if my life was in jeopardy and one that would most likely break my heart, but I would choose to live if the animal couldn't be rescued. The government and relief efforts have human lives to save, it might not be to your liking, but if one or both of my sons was missing and possibly still alive and some rescue workers were out saving Fluffy or Spot my head would explode. If the government and relief agencies spent money to rescue animals over my kids I would stage a one man war. Let's face a little reality here, the money is best spent rescuing humans first. I know that might sound cold and heartless to some, but there it is.



FangsNfeet -> RE: Leaving your pet behind (9/8/2005 9:10:25 AM)

quote:

Let's face a little reality here, the money is best spent rescuing humans first. I know that might sound cold and heartless to some, but there it is.


Though I completly agree with you Gauge, here is a basic fact about money donations.

Volunteer US citiizen wise, we have been able to raise a little over $90 mil. However, our federal government is putting in billions of dollars to the recue and relief efforts. President Bush has demands that an extra $40 billion be spent on top of what is going in now. Accountents are estimating that $150 billion will be spent before it's all said and done. So our $90 really isn't doing a whole lot. It's mainly going towards relief efforts vs resuce efforts at that.

When donating to the relief fund, it's best to drop off old cloths, can goods, and furniture. The envriomental people including PETA and the SPCA do need help. After all, by donating to animal rescue/relief efforts, you are still helping humans. Having all these domesticated animals running around can cause more devistation disease and famine wise. Allowing these animals to go stray can cause them to become desperate, disease carrying, and will end up costing us more money to take care of it then than it would now.

Yes I belive human life should come first. But by helping the animals, you in essance help save humans from future complicications. Donating a little bit of money to animal shelters instead of the Red Cross and such isn't a priority gut wrenching choice when we see our tax dollars at work. Our shelters and wild life preservest need us more than ever now. With out help, we'll be seeing more rabid dogs and disease filled floating pet bodies spreading pestilence across the land.



brightspot -> RE: Leaving your pet behind (9/8/2005 4:01:26 PM)

I personally could not leave my pets(kids), I would not go without them.
I would probably be someone who would be there with my pets and
taking into saftey any other pet that came along.

It would be terrifying to imagine but I think I would rather die trying
to save the most forgotten.

*Brightspot




frenchpet -> RE: Leaving your pet behind (9/8/2005 4:29:36 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: FangsNfeet

quote:

Let's face a little reality here, the money is best spent rescuing humans first. I know that might sound cold and heartless to some, but there it is.


Though I completly agree with you Gauge, here is a basic fact about money donations.

Volunteer US citiizen wise, we have been able to raise a little over $90 mil.

??? You don't save lives of people or pets starving and sick with millions of dollars, imho (well, except if you're on a banknote-diet ?). It's not money that is needed to save lives, it's firemen, doctors, nurses... and soldiers in case of a major disaster. Most of the money will go in helping the victims to recover what they lost. ...Oh well, what do I know about Money, I'm from old Europe. Maybe money has magical powers I have never heard of.



JohnWarren -> RE: Leaving your pet behind (9/8/2005 4:56:09 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: brightspot

I personally could not leave my pets(kids), I would not go without them.
I would probably be someone who would be there with my pets and
taking into saftey any other pet that came along.

It would be terrifying to imagine but I think I would rather die trying
to save the most forgotten.[/font][/size][/color]



My feeling is that pets are not wild animals. We, as a society, have made them dependent upon us. Therefore it is our duty to take care of them. It's like the old argument about once a master takes a slave what duties are owed, but in this case, we've modified a creature and prevented it from learning survival skills. Therefore, to me, there is an explicit duty owed.

On a personal level, I will not abandon anyone or anything I've allow to love me.



subcheryl -> RE: Leaving your pet behind (9/8/2005 5:47:34 PM)

As I have said in a posting in the ask a sub forum, I don't know what I would have done without our pets, we have 3 dogs, and a cat and 4 silverdollar fish and Master lost his Beta fish during the power outage, that rather flipped us out as a beta can live in a bowl and this one was in a 10 gal, tank and the silverdollar fish in a 40 and much bigger and they made it. But anyway, during the time on monday when the Jackson,Ms area lost power and phone service, till friday at about 7pm in our area, that is when power came back on, the dogs and cats where a great source of comfort and companionship while Master was at work, they didn't understand what happened and where confused themselves, but they were constantly at my feet and my dog was constantly at my side if I stood up she did and she would follow me where ever I went. When I would sit the cat was in my lap. So I would find it very very hard to leave pets behind they would have to carry me or drag me out to get me to abandon them, I just can't imagine how hard it was for these people to leave them behind



MsStressed -> RE: Leaving your pet behind (9/8/2005 6:54:11 PM)

brightspot, I am with you....If we were in that situation, We would not leave our four legged fur kids. We would live or die together. You wanna evacuate me, take my kids too! This is just one of many reasons we are in Ohio and not on the gulf coast, or anywhere near a flood zone. I am just weird that way. I keep praying for survivors, humankind and animal kind alike.
Keeping katrina victims in our thoughts and prayers
MsStressed and Partner & the kids



BalletBob -> RE: Leaving your pet behind (9/8/2005 7:51:06 PM)

I agree with everyone, but Gauge..bad gauge. Beside the government givin money, they also have more that they know how to deal with.....who else could buy a $500.00 Toilet Seat or $40..00 Hammer. I would never leave my "FLUFFY" behind....she is MY DAUGHTER. My wife and I have been married for 30 years (OUCH!), and since we were never blessed with kids (Anyone want to be adopted here?)...we have our Fluffy. We already had to lose one ct many years ago, due to ilness, and it was so heartbroken, we don't want to go through that again. I would give whatever I can to save an animal, but wouldn't give the RED CROSS, the time of day. They screwed me up when I was in the service, but that's another story.

I always give to the Salvation Army, but in this case, it's the animals that need our help now.

Father of Fluffy, BalletBob

[image]local://upfiles/141949/1386F37EB13B49A5ADD56B10C6F82E62.jpg[/image]



DesertRat -> RE: Leaving your pet behind (9/8/2005 10:00:44 PM)

I wouldn't do it. Couldn't do it. Whatever the consequences, Otis, Daisy, and I are a bonded unit. I could not live with myself if I abandoned them, no matter what the reason. I don't know exactly what I would do if faced with such a situation, but I do know we would be together.

I sat here for a moment and thought about what I just wrote. It occurred to me that this is one of the few things in life about which I am absolutely sure. Something I could swear to without reservation.

Bob



Manndalin -> RE: Leaving your pet behind (9/8/2005 10:39:57 PM)

A news reporter was saying how quiet it was in New Orleans now....except for the sounds of all the abandoned starving animals crying and howling. I wonder how long it will be before the officials say it's time to go in and get them, everyone is pretty much saved and out of there now!



Gauge -> RE: Leaving your pet behind (9/8/2005 11:15:42 PM)

quote:

I agree with everyone, but Gauge..bad gauge.


I knew it wouldn't be a popular stance. Go back and reread my post. I am not a cold hearted monster with no feelings, I am actually a very gentle person and I have a very soft spot in my heart for animals. All I know is if I were in that situation and rescue workers said that I couldn't take animals... it would break my heart to leave them and maybe I would do what Fangs would do and not allow them to suffer but in order to give another fellow human being a chance to live, I would agree to the demand.

In all honesty, I am sitting here in my apartment, safe, sound and in no imminent danger therefore all I can do is speculate as to what I would do. When faced with something life or death I do not know what I would do until faced with those choices. I pray that I will never have to make those types of choices. [&o]



WickedKev -> RE: Leaving your pet behind (9/9/2005 2:08:06 AM)

My dog passed away last year. I have had many dogs in my life all that I loved but I was closer to my 'Devine Miss Emma'. I miss her every day, would I have left her behind not a chance, and there isn't an soldier on thisplanet that could make me. I would have taken my chances with her.



Quivver -> RE: Leaving your pet behind (9/9/2005 5:30:02 AM)

Seems you need some back up Gauge. God know's Critters of all kinds are usually better friends then humans any day, at least for me. But like I've said before, I look at things from a farmers view (although not a farmer). Humans come first. Domesticated animals are at our mercy, as John said we've made them so. Yet if a war struck and we as a people were starving my critters as much as I love them would feed my children. Granted a nautral disaster is a different matter all together, I'm sure I'd be the one trying to swim them out under the cover of darkness. A few years back when North Carolina was hit with spring floods and humans evacuated they too had to leave their fuzzy and scaled friends behind. When the water level began to go down a group had formed to go in for the next rescue, large and small. Yea, it's a horrible thing that's happened to all living creatures, but those with hearts and desire to make a difference can and will gather to do what they can, when they can.

Q



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