Apparently I am cruel! Discuss

MrsElle

MrsElle

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My OH and I ended up in a rather heated debate last night on rescue centres.

Equine rescues are slightly different to canine/feline rescues as at least the horses have turn out.

I said that if we were ever in a situation where we couldn't keep the dogs and I couldn't find a home for them myself I would have them pts rather than sending them to a rescue centre.

OH was horrified and couldn't see my point that either the dogs are kenneled in a strange place with strange people before being pts anyway (in the case of the RSPCA) or possibly stay long term in kennels awaiting a home and getting stressed and upset in the process.

I was wondering if I am cruel after all, although it is still what I would do. Ditto with the horses. If a rescue couldn't take them and I couldn't find a suitable home I would pts rather than send them to the sales.

What would you do?
 
Nope, I'd say you weren't cruel, more realistic and a caring owner. If I couldn't find homes for our 3 horses I would definitey have them PTS rather than risk them falling into the wrong hands. Our 3 lurchers are all rescues, and it is part of the contract that if I can no longer keep them, then they would go back to the rescue. Luckily the rescue is a breed rescue and all their dogs are kept in foster homes and not kennels, so much better than the RSPCA.
 
I would do everything I could to avoid my dogs being pts. Rescue kennels are not that bad, the dogs get plenty of human contact and are not left in shelters that long if they are nice dogs. Unless of course you have poorly socialised/vicious/untrained staffies....?

I don't think you are cruel- you could do a lot worse than pts but I would not. Horses are different, it's less likely that they could get a space at a rescue centre.
 
Horrible to say, but I wholeheartedly agree with you. My OH and I were having this very disscussion and he was quite upset that I thought cats, dogs, and horse would be better off PTS.

Take responsibility and ensure them a peaceful end if unsure of their future, IMHO.
 
My dogs wouldn't be easy to rehome from a rescue centre. I have two Weimaraners over the age of 7, one is rather difficult and I wouldn't trust him with anyone else. We also have an elderly Rhodesian Ridgeback who we got from a rescue centre and I would never put her through that again. We have a Staffy who although is well trained, well socialised and really good with other dogs is, well, a Staffy, and rescue centres are full of them. We have a Jack Russell that one of my brothers dumped on us but she is so stressy last time she went in kennels (when my brother had her) they had to phone my mum to get her out. She chews her feet when stressed to the point they bleed so no way could she go in kennels. Then we have Millie our little rescue EBT x. She is lovely with us but knowing her history and how hard she can bite (OH still has the scars!) I could never rehome her anyway.

Blimey, we do have rather a sorry bunch don't we!
 
Don't have a dog, never had one and never will.
But if my leopard bengal cat ever had to find a new home I probably would as I know she would go to a nice home, I would find a home myself as I know she would be very upset if she was sent into kennels. (Yes she really is part of the family!)
I wouldn't pts a healthy animal.. sorry.. But I would make it my duty to find a nice home.
 
You said if you couldn't find a home for them, which tells me you would try to do so first, then you would PTS rather than leave with a rescue centre. I think you're a responsible and caring owner with animals' best interests at heart.

I worked in a rescue centre when I was younger and some of the dogs, whilst being perfectly affable, had been in there for months. This centre had a no destruction policy which I now wholeheartedly disagree with. I do think there should be a time limit on the length of time a dog spends in kennels without being adopted after which it is PTS.
 
This is a tricky one. Although I can understand the sentiment of not wanting a dog/cat to spend a protracted time in kennels or a horse to be past piller to post, I am also wary of the 'therefore pts' philosophy.

I think the issue arises from people having different views on what constitutes a reasonable search for a new home. This is a matter somewhat close to my heart as my (perfectly healthy, at that point 13 year old but unbacked :eek:) mare was almost pts by a previous owner who turned up at the yard one day said she'd had enough and was going to have both her horses pts as she didn't want them being past around and she just wanted it over. At this point YO offered to keep horses (for free livery and care) for a month so she could go away and think about it, and if she still didn't want them they'd help her find a good home for them, and she said no :mad: After a lot of hooing and haaing back and forth (I missed a lot of this as I was at Uni at the time) she signed them over to YO, but it was a very close thing (knackers man's van at the end of the drive etc). Now, its fair enough that she wanted to give up horses, and fair enough that she was worried about finding them a good home, but it doesn't seem fair to me to pts without even really trying, just for *her* peace of mind, particularly as there were people willing to help her.

n.b. The fact that both horses are now in 'forever' homes :), one as a companion horse for old YO and Stacy with me as low-level RC all rounder/ happy hacker, shows that it is possible to find good homes in this sort of situation. Its fine to accept that you'd rather pts then send a horse to sales say, but its when that leads to 'I can't keep therefore its time to pts' that I think people start to have problems.
 
Sadly, sometimes peoples' circumstances change-they lose their jobs or their partner dies-and they have to suddenly get rid of their animals for reasons beyond their control, perhaps when other parts of their lives have gone horribly wrong-possibly if they go to a Rescue Centre they have a chance of another life as good as the one they had, or even of the original owner getting them back if things improve.
 
I agree with mrs elle; I would do my best to find suitable homes for my two middle-aged cats and my insurance write-off mare, if I couldn't I would have them PTS in favour of sending them to a rescue centre.
 
Same here. I would do everything in my power to find wonderful homes but I would never leave that in the hands of others and would prefer to PTS than risk a potentially long stay in a rescue centre or kennels.
 
Farrierlover said:
I would do everything I could to avoid my dogs being pts. Rescue kennels are not that bad, the dogs get plenty of human contact and are not left in shelters that long if they are nice dogs. Unless of course you have poorly socialised/vicious/untrained staffies....?
.
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Not strictly true. I have two rescue lurchers. One was taken to a kennels at 6 months for weeing on beds. She's a pretty, clever, affectionate dog, and would have had potential as a working lurcher. She is also half terrier, vocal, boisterous and at that age, a bag full of energy. She didn't sell herself well in kennels and stayed there for over 6 months before being passed to a breed rescue after an unsuccessful rehoming (where her over excitement was mistaken for aggression). She's been with us for 7 years now, and I would do anything not to have to put her in kennels again.
 
Im in a situation atm, where's my partner has left me and i cant afford the rent by myself. Now he's been good and been paying paying it for the last 2months. The rent is £950, i earn £750, as "pocket money" , so no way i can afford the rent myself, plus a horse. I had been with my ex for 9yrs. Now he's moved, cant take the cats. And i have taken on extra work, plus ex is going to pay current rent till i find some where but not long term. Now ive been looking since we spilt and so far havnt found anything that is suitable, in budget or the ones i have found the landlord has choosen someone else over me, at the end of the day why would you rent to a 23yr old, single partner with cats, when you could rent your house out to a married couple, no kids, no cats?
So here's the problem i have, my cats have a home for life with me, and id do what ever it takes to keep them feed, healthy and lovingly looked after. Atm it looks like i may "sudders" no offence to anyone what so ever, but i may have to go into council housing; this is not the plan as i feel that i can afford a house on my own but with no where to move to and a short fall in money on my current house it maybe the only option.
But this means that i "may" have to go in a b&b or however it all works out somewhere where for a temp amount of time, i may not be able to take my cats with me. So Do i give them away? Put them up in a cattery for a month or 2? give them to the cats protection?
Bloodly men, we were supposed to married and everything, thats my plans ruined. And yes before anyone starts horse, kid and cats have the best of everything, all insuranced, plus a i have a emergcy pot just in case.
 
Oh my goodness Rache. just wanted to say 'sorry' and hope your situation improves sooon! do you have anybody who could foster the cats for a while?
 
Thankyou rupertsmum
every one in the family has dogs so no, and the cats are house cats aswell. its such a pain. But one thing i have learnt is not to be so dependant on men, the next one will be competly different, dont want to be in this situ again. Its not fair on my son nor my pets.
But hopefully in the long run, it should never happen again and cats really do have a home for life with me, if i can get this housing issue sorted!
 
Oneof the saddest things I ever saw was two very elderly dogs kenneled together in an RSPCA rescue shelter. They were aged 16 and 17 and were huddled together, shivering with fear, in a plastic bed. The poor dogs were petrified. It was probably the first time they'd ever been in a kennel. let alone a busy, noisy rescue block. They had been found next to their dead owner's body. I felt it would have been far, far kinder to have them pts than thrown into this situation. So sad.
 
Rache said:
Im in a situation atm, where's my partner has left me and i cant afford the rent by myself. Now he's been good and been paying paying it for the last 2months. The rent is £950, i earn £750, as "pocket money" , so no way i can afford the rent myself, plus a horse. I had been with my ex for 9yrs. Now he's moved, cant take the cats. And i have taken on extra work, plus ex is going to pay current rent till i find some where but not long term. Now ive been looking since we spilt and so far havnt found anything that is suitable, in budget or the ones i have found the landlord has choosen someone else over me, at the end of the day why would you rent to a 23yr old, single partner with cats, when you could rent your house out to a married couple, no kids, no cats?
So here's the problem i have, my cats have a home for life with me, and id do what ever it takes to keep them feed, healthy and lovingly looked after. Atm it looks like i may "sudders" no offence to anyone what so ever, but i may have to go into council housing; this is not the plan as i feel that i can afford a house on my own but with no where to move to and a short fall in money on my current house it maybe the only option.
But this means that i "may" have to go in a b&b or however it all works out somewhere where for a temp amount of time, i may not be able to take my cats with me. So Do i give them away? Put them up in a cattery for a month or 2? give them to the cats protection?
Bloodly men, we were supposed to married and everything, thats my plans ruined. And yes before anyone starts horse, kid and cats have the best of everything, all insuranced, plus a i have a emergcy pot just in case.
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There are now places that organise 'foster homes' for animals for people in your situation, may be worth having a search just so you are ready when the time comes if that would be a solution for you.

I would definitely PTS and wouldn't even try to find homes, I wouldnt part with them unless there was no other way but not one of my ponies will ever end up in a sales ring by any means!
 
I agree,it's in my will,what horses I have left go to WHW with money,my dogs pts as the 4 have always been together and my youngist suffers from epilepsy and cost over a £100 per month (oh worked out if he lives to be 10 years old he'll cost £12,ooo and over). so couldn't ask for them to be together and wouldn't want them parted.
 
I agree. One of our dogs Jessie was a rescue, and if we hadn't had her (and I don't think anyone else would have, bless her!) she would have spent the rest of her life in torment.

Even now, if she hears dogs barking on the telly, she gets in a state about it, and I honestly think if she hadn't found a home, she would have been much better pts.

A dog rescue centre (where we got Jessie) wanted to open a kennels near us; they said of course they looked after the dogs properly, but then went on to say that the dogs would be locked up in their kennels for at least 16 hrs per day!!! And this is supposed to be kindness!! I know its hard for these places to operate, but I was horrified when I heard that. Those poor dogs.
 
I wouldn't send ANYTHING of mine, beit Equine/Bovine/Porcine/Canine/Feline to any bl00dy so-called rescue centre.
It is stated in my will that ANYTHING mentioned in said Will that outlives myself is PTS within 96hrs of my death.
End of.
 
jendie said:
Oneof the saddest things I ever saw was two very elderly dogs kenneled together in an RSPCA rescue shelter. They were aged 16 and 17 and were huddled together, shivering with fear, in a plastic bed. The poor dogs were petrified. It was probably the first time they'd ever been in a kennel. let alone a busy, noisy rescue block. They had been found next to their dead owner's body. I felt it would have been far, far kinder to have them pts than thrown into this situation. So sad.
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A similar thing happend to a little dog owned by an old lady near me who died, the dog was 15 and not even house trained, imo she should have been pts but was placed in rescue kennels, where she ended her days :( I agree with Mrs Elle, if god forbid we were unable to keep our dogs the 2 older ones would be pts, the younger one would hopefully be taken in by a good friend of mine, or alternatively go back to her breeder.
 
nativeponies said:
I wouldn't send ANYTHING of mine, beit Equine/Bovine/Porcine/Canine/Feline to any bl00dy so-called rescue centre.
It is stated in my will that ANYTHING mentioned in said Will that outlives myself is PTS within 96hrs of my death.
End of.
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I agree with this idea, sister and I have made it clear that this is what we expect to happen to anything we have when the last of us dies. (hope that makes sense!) I would not expect any family member to take care of them (ex-foster daughter is only family younger than us and has a back condition which precludes her from any lifting, heck some days she uses a wheelchair) and would not put any of them through any sort of 'rescue' or rehoming.
All the dogs/cats are kept in packs/families and the outside ones are kept in stable herds, the only time they leave is when they are deadstock, so they are used to living in their group. I am pretty sure that no rescue would keep them in that way.
 
nativeponies said:
I wouldn't send ANYTHING of mine, beit Equine/Bovine/Porcine/Canine/Feline to any bl00dy so-called rescue centre.
It is stated in my will that ANYTHING mentioned in said Will that outlives myself is PTS within 96hrs of my death.
End of.
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Glad I'm not your pet then! Why don't you designate them other homes with friends or relatives instead? My will leaves money in trust for my animals and my trusted relatives are charged to find them good homes or if necessary PTS. Its not a blanket PTS. After all I could die tomorrow and at the moment I have 1 basically healthy lovely horse and two healthy house-trained cats.

At the risk of been beaten over the head - some of you to be pretty quick off the mark having your pets put down for no other reason than you think you are the only person in the world that could offer a good home.

Many of you have taken on rescues from rescue homes I've had rescues and yet you wouldn't want your animals to be given the chance of a new and loving home? Being in a centre for a time isn't ideal but its not necessarily the end of the world.

If the animal is very old, sick or has problems that someone is unlikely to want to deal with then fair enough but blanket PTS is a bit harsh.
 
Quite shocked.:eek: Completely understand where people are coming from but in the market for a rescue dog atm and were warned at our local kennels that after the compulsory seven days that dogs are assessed they have a three day turn around for rehoming with the exception of staffies. :)

Also quite shocked that people don't have friends or family they trust to rehome them for you.:confused:

Obviously pets with problems making it unlikely to be rehomed pts is the clear choice but for healthy animals think its a bit selfish not even to give them a chance at a future.

But of course each to their own. :D
 
I do not think it is selfish at all, I took these animals on, with every intention of them living in a way that I believe is best for them. As I stated, they live in packs and herds, these are settled, except for 'natural wastage' and they would loose us, each other and their home, should they have to be rehomed. There is no guarantee of stability for any of them if they leave here, and I can be pretty sure that they would not be rehomed as groups. I think it would be selfish to put that responsibility on family or friends.
 
No thats what friends and family are for same way they would take on my child. But all of my friends and family are of a similar frame of mind we all have dogs and horses.
Perhaps other people are differant with their families less a unit more only relations. Here if someone can't look after their dog or horse it will go to an aunt or cousin etc.
Horses move 'herds' regularly never caused any of mine distress, when they go out on loan to pc camp etc.
I don't know perhaps other animals behave differently to all the ones I've known.
But as I've said people choice can only say how I feel.
 
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