An Open Letter to Pet Dumpers

To Whom it May Concern -

I am writing to address the rampant dumping of pets that is happening in this nation and likely all over the world. It is my humble opinion that when you get a pet it is a lifelong commitment, a promise to them that you will stick by them through good and bad, thick and thin. Sadly, I am in the minority. I fear many people find their pets are disposable and that when their life situations change its fine just to dump and run. I get it - life happens and its hard. But, quite honestly, I stand in judgement of these folks. Maybe I am the one who is wrong but I just don't get it. There is simply no circumstance that would result in me dumping one of my animals.

We have cats, my husband has become more and more allergic as he has gotten older. Did we ever consider getting rid of them? No, we tried to find a solution of keeping the kitties confined to a specific part of the house so there is limited exposure for my husband. Pigs, pigs are incredibly hard. They are incredibly rewarding, but incredibly hard. Winston went through a destructive phase. Did we want to send him to the shelter? No. When he got almost four times bigger than the breeder told us he would get - again we never considered sending him away. When we got the puppies we had issues with the pig and the dogs interfacing. Get rid of the dogs or the pig? No! We worked out a solution where they never interface. Is it hard? Yes! Is it a pain in the ass? Yes? Is it my obligation to come up with solutions that keep them safe? Yes! We have a fifteen year old dog - she is ailing, she has accidents in the house, she makes me a tiny bit crazy. Am I going to dump her at a shelter? NO! I am going to care for her until her quality of life is such that we make that terrible choice to send her over the rainbow bridge or until she passes away, whichever comes first. I adopted her as a puppy, she dedicated her life to bringing our family joy and it's the least I can do for her.

Having animals is an expensive, sometimes stressful endeavor. They bring so much joy but there are challenges. If you aren't willing to work through the challenges the don't get them. Think ahead. Ask yourself - 'Can I keep this (insert animal here) if I have a baby?' 'Can we take (insert animal here) if we move?' 'Can I figure out solutions to difficult behavioral problems when they arise?' 'Can I make a unbreakable promise to watch over (insert animal here) for the duration of their life - no matter what?' If you can't make a lifelong commitment - then skip it.

Did you know that only 1 in 4 pigs is with their original owner? Seriously? 75% give up. Shelters and sanctuaries are bursting. And breeders, don't get me started - how about if you suspend breeding until every one if those pigs has a forever home? Did you know November is Adopt a Senior Dog month? The problem of dumping your senior dog is so bad that we now have a month dedicated to getting them adopted? Really? This is my 'pet peeve' - pun intended.

Please make the right decision, think of all possible scenarios and skip adopting the critter if you aren't in for the long haul -

End of rant!