Originally posted by Nomilynn
Secondly, there are times when emergencies happen that are totally unforseen. When Bassett got sick, was I a terrible mom because I didn't have an extra $1000 set aside for all her immediate vet costs? No. Sometimes things happen that we can't predict. I remember, Cass, when your cat (I think it was Mystic) was injured and you couldn't take her immediatly to the vet, and you posted here about how she was trembling with pain but you had no money to help her. Does that make YOU a bad owner? Not necessarily. It just means that sometimes things happen that we have to deal with as best we can when the time comes.
That is absolutely true. NONE of us ... with the exception of the millionaires and billionaires of the world ... can say that we KNOW we can take care of any medical emergency that arises with our pets. NONE of us can say that, even if we only have ONE pet. I personally know someone that spent over $20,000 on surgery and treatments for their dog. Seriously. They are extremely wealthy people. I am not. If my dog had developed the same problems that their dog had, I would have had to euthanize my dog. Does that make me irresponsible? No. It makes me middle-class.

NONE of us have room the criticize anyone else for not having the money for emergency vet care ... not unless we have thousands and thousands of dollars sitting in a special bank account of our own. We can make constructive suggestions, and offer friendly advice. But keep in mind .... those who live in glass houses should not throw stones.