How can they????

[mruffruff]

How can people get pets and then abandon them when they move?

This week the weather in South Carolina has been snowy, icy and very cold. A neighbor of my daughter's moved and left 4 dogs behind. One was a tiny poodle (less than 10 lbs) that was tied to a tree. It had a doghouse that was too big for it and the wire was wrapped around the tree so many times that the poor dog couldn't even get into the doghouse. There was no food or water. Another was a long-haired dachshund that didn't even have a doghouse to get into. The temperatures have been in the low 20's at night with lots of snow (5 inches) and cold winds. There is also a 30 lb red dog living under the house and a chihuahua inside. No furniture inside and no sightings of the owners in three days.

I took the two little ones home last night. Neither is house trained, but eager to please. They got a bath, a full belly and a warm bed until morning. I took them to the rescue/shelter this morning.

I don't understand how people can do this. My daughter was so mad, she didn't even need a coat to walk to get them. She thinks they should be tied out for a couple days to see how it feels.

I'm equally furious.

Mary

[purrfectpaws]

That too makes me so mad when people do that. It is their responsibility to take of them and to not up and take off on them. You are very right Mary, they should be tied up just like those dogs and left for days without anything.
You should try to find out who the landlord is and if you can get a forwarding address and tell them off. Their mail will def have to be forwarded to them somehow.
We should ALL petition to make this a new law that makes this act illegal. What would we call it??
Carla

[yorkster]

I could not read the whole story because it makes me too sad.......all I can say is that some people (unfortunately quite a few) are heartless.
It seems they don't want any kind of 'hassles' in their lifes, which makes you wonder why the get animals in the first place.

[mugsy]

I hate stupid people. I agree, they should have to spend their time tied out like they left their dogs. Has anyone taken the other 2 dogs? What is their fate?

[Karen]

I think animal neglect and abandonment should be treated just as animal abuse. It is the same thing.

The people should not be tied up outside - it wouldn't teach them a thing, as they obviously think that people and animals are much different creatures. They should be penalized financially - which is something they might understand better - or at least it would be more of a disinsentive. Enough money to pay for veterinary care, shelter space and to pay the animals' caretakers.

[shais_mom]

First off I totally agree with your daughter these people should be hogtied outside and horsewhipped.
But I also send kudos to you that you took in these babies even for one night. You are very special.

[Logan]

Oh, Mary, what horrible people. But what a wonderful person your daughter is to take notice and get those dogs.

I lived in a rural area of SC one time, and one of our neighbors moved away in the middle of the night and we didn't know it for days. He had two adult cats and two dogs. He took one dog with him, and we realized that the other pets must still be at the house. I found the mama cat and one kitten (barely clinging to life) and the little dead carcasses of two other kittens out on the back porch of the house. Found a home for the mama cat and the baby with a friend of my mother in law. The second cat, Thumper, was adopted by another neighbor. The dog, an English Setter, who was left, was taken by another neighbor, who found a home for him, only to have him escape and get killed by a car trying to make it back home.

People never cease to amaze me. I can't imagine, even with the worst possible things happening in my life, that I could ever just drive away and leave my animals to fend for themselves. Makes me so very angry and sad. Good thing that there are good folks out there to help them, like you and your daughter, and my neighbors, who tried so hard to help.

[jackiesdaisy1935]

Mary, I think there will always be people like that who look at animals as things, they don't understand that they are alive and breathing just like us. I think the only way to deal with these people are more strict laws regarding abandoning animals and as Karen says hit them in the pocketbook.
A good hefty fine will make them think twice and would help to take care of the animals expenses.
It makes me sick to read stories like this, I just don't know how a person can just walk away. Shame on them.
Jackie

[KYS]

That makes me angry/sad that some
people can be so cold hearted,
not just with animals but with their
fellow humans.
mruffruff, You did a wonderful thing
by helping those dogs.
I would think their is a law under
animal cruelty for abanding animals like that.

[*LabLoverKEB*]

Things like that, make me mad, too! Those people shouldn't even own dogs, if they are going to treat them like that! Poor little things! I'm soo glad, that you took them in, though!

[aly]

mruffruff - Thanks for taking care of those poor dogs. They finally got to see true love and compassion from a human. I wish them luck in finding a wonderful forever home. What happened to the other 2 dogs? If they're still there, can animal control be called?

The bad thing about my job is seeing and hearing about stuff like this every day. We are selective intake and aren't supposed to take strays or abandoned animals technically. We do a lot if they're healthy though. How can you say no? Its sickening how many we have to send to the city shelter though (nasty place)

[mruffruff]

The two dogs I rescued are now in good homes. The other two were picked up by their owners yesterday, the 6th.

I tried to call the ASPCA. No Answer. The local police seemed to be offended that I would even care. The APL is operating with only an answering machine. If I had reported the situation to authorities, the dogs would have been taken to the pound and MAYBE adopted and then again, maybe euthanized. The owners would have been fined $500 for each dog. But since the owners don't have any money, it wouldn't have done any good.

I was prepared to get the other dogs some way, somehow, if they were still there Sunday night. I guess I'm glad they came back for the dogs, since I'm too old to do jail time!

Mary

[ramanth]

I'm too angry and sad to put my thoughts into words.....

But Thank GOD for people like you Mary.

~Kimmy

[thelmalu99]

Ugh. People like that make me sick.