Today, I keep thinking about something I have regularly seen on social media and I may have miscommunicated myself in my post about Drake. I don’t believe that all people who give up their pets are horrible people. Sometimes, giving up your pet is the best thing for both the pet and the family. Sometimes it is necessary and sometimes it isn’t.
I have known people who had to give up a pet because of illness, financial struggles, aggression issues, or just because it isn’t a good fit for the family and the animal. In no way am I advocating just dumping an animal or disposing of it like trash. Most of those people I have known who have had to rehome an animal made sure that it went somewhere that it was a better fit and the animal would be well cared for and loved.
Sometimes a shelter or rescue is the right move. It allows the animal to be safe and cared for and the opportunity to experience love and kindness. This decision is never one that should be made lightly. There are certainly reasons that I tend to judge as frivolous for getting rid of a pet. Of course, my judgement doesn’t mean anything in the long run. How I feel really doesn’t matter. What I do, I hope, does matter.
I will support shelters and rescues as much as I can. I can donate a bag of food regularly, support fundraisers, and volunteer when I am not in school. I can listen before I make someone feel bad when they believe that they have done all they can and need to find someone else to love and care for their furry friend.
My pets help me love more (even the cat who is probably a demon in disguise). I have a lot more to learn from them and I will try to always do what is best for them. I hope when people are at the right point in their lives, they get to experience the same wonderful feelings I have felt from my pets. In the past, I haven’t always been the best pet parent I could be and I am still not there but I am more conscious about trying to be better. Now that I am older, and I hope a little wiser, I want to keep improving and trying to be better than I was the day before.
The Terrible Two on Four Feet 
That was very well put.
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Thank you. Sometimes my enthusiasm gets the better of me and I don’t communicate as well as I should.
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I get what you are saying. We shouldn’t judge people. And ultimately the very fact that they are giving up their dog is a good sign that they aren’t able to keep the dog happy if they kept them. Our first dog (we’ve only had two), was given to us by a friend of an elderly nun who had developed dementia and was no longer able to care for it. The dog was 6 at the time. We were told that there were times when she was lucid enough to remember that she had a dog and miss her, but mostly she never mentioned the dog. The dog was a wonderful addition to our family for 3 years before we lost her. My stepdaughter had let her out to the backyard and forgot to let her back in while we were away. Eventually she dug out through back fence and we never saw her again. Anyway, I understand the need to give one up, and at least that gives the dog a chance to get adopted again by a good family. Some people just give their dogs away to people that have no business caring for a dog. That would be much worse. Great post. – Robert
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Thank you!
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