Then people dump them, dogs and cats, why after them being a part of the family loved by us and loving us back, listen to our troubles...see us as Godlike, never judge us, would follow us to the end of the earth and probably even die for us if we asked it, then they get old and they are no longer wanted.

I find it really hard to understand, there is something so vulnerable about an older animal, and the way that they actually seem to appreciate you more than ever like they know what you do for them, how can people just stop loving them? open the door and let them out or take them to a rescue centre in favour of a younger one.

I pity the parents of these people when they get old, they will be the first ones sent to an home, well I hope what goes around comes around and in their old age these people are thrown away in exactly the same way :rant:

im sorry but i find anybody who abandons there old dog for a newer one discracefull, my labrador is 7 years old, noooooooooooooway would i get rid of her for a new puppy, it would finish her off i think she is so attached to me never has a lead on as shes always at my side lol, shes my best buddy, and now my new dog is settling in nicely she is going the same realy placid but more attached to me aswell you dont get any better love(except from your kids)there is no love like it and my girls are like my kids treat them all the same the only reason i would ever have to get rid of them is if i couldent feed them, and obviously its unlikley to happen lol

I've never been able to understand anybody who could take on a pet and then get rid of it when it gets a bit old and creaky and problematic. Don't they think that pets get old and need extra care? Yes, vet bills for older animals can be horrendous, but that's just part and parcel of being a pet owner.

Most of my cats (and dogs) have lived to a good old age, but with problems. The Staffy dog had emphysema, a heart murmer and liver problems, which resulted in many a dash to the vets for a quick jab. But he was happy - he had quality of life and enjoyment and we didn't get him put down until his kidneys went and the vet advised it. The Staffy bitch went senile and refused to go out to pee or poop - the kitchen ended up awash every morning and evening (good job she didn't use the carpet in the living room), but we mopped it up and carried on.

And the cats usually ended up with some illness or the other - kidneys, thyroid, whatever, but they all got the treatment they needed until it was time for them to go.

I really do hope that the people who are callous enough to dump their pets when they need caring for get exactly the same treatment from their children when they get old and creaky.

My dog is 13 and a half and the cats are now 14 and 15, I absolutely cannot imagine how anyone could do it, personaly I think if you give a pet away there should be some sort of record, so that if you wanted to buy the new updated version! you wouldnt be allowed, it breaks my heart to think about it.

I agree entirely with you Moonbird. I've got two elderly cats and I think they're all the more lovely as they age and chill out.

Arthur had a rough winter, losing a lot of his body weight and fur and taking up residence on the bed, looking like an old cat for the first time. I was really worried about him and neighbours who were used to a visit kept knocking the door to check that he was OK. Since the lovely weather and a change of food he's his normal self and back to being a lovely, snuggly happy cat, made all the more special because he's such loyal and loving boy.

When he finally does go he'll leave an enormous hole in my heart and I'm SO proud that he's having a good summer and still going out to lie in the sun and visit people for a hug, despite being well in the age for needing a little furry zimmer frame.

They may be less active when they're older, but how that makes them any less loving, important or fabulous is beyond me.

medusa it makes them more loving as they more than likley want hugs all day and less walks, that suits me fine it means i can be lazy lol, well i could be untill i got younger version althouh my old girl has gone nowhere infact its made her more active blesssss

it really distresses me that people "get bored" with pets.

I took my dog and cat on for the long haul, and got 15 years out of the dog, and 17 years out of the cat.

I hope I do as well with Trix, my little "Jaqueline Russell" (lol) who is about a year and a half old, and my new cat Dixie. (who's about 10/11 months old)

I hate the throw away attitude of people like this , I struggle to give away the ones who are abandoned here sometimes but know that I can't keep every animal i have left here, if I d did that my own wouldn't get as much attention as they do. My attititude is that any animal I take on is for life no matter what , they stay as part of my family where ever I go. I would live in a tent if I couldn't keep my pets with me.

How fitting that you should put up this thread Moonbird.

Sheffield staff have sent us through new pics of the dogs dumped in the city recently - and lo and behold - there are 2 lovely old girls in there. One of them seems to be there cos it didn't get on with the puppy. So - will Granma get dumped in the nursing home because the granddaughter doesn't like the smell of old people? The mind boggles about the future for anything when no longer required.

I so hope that all the dogs get more interest on homes now that we have them back on our site, but I especially hope that the old ones aren't waiting there long.

K11 & K13
http://www.rainrescue.co.uk/sheffield.htm

Just had a look at the two old girls on your website rain, it's just unbelievable that people could do such a thing, and why did the old dog have to go just because she didn't enjoy being pulled about by the new puppy?
My puppies were taught to leave the oldies alone, and if they wouldn't it would have been them to go not the old ones, surely we owe them more than that for all of their years of loyalty and devotion :(

OMG Kennel 4 looks so lost bless her. I can't believe someone could actually do that to an old dog! I really hope she doesn't spend too long in there. I can't stand oldies in kennels!

I love older dogs and have always made a point of adopting oldies. I've not had them long, my last old girl was with me 11 months before passing away but it was a lovely 11 months for both of us and I was glad to be able to make the final part of her life happy and comfortable. It was hard losing her though. She'd been picked up as an unwanted stray and saved from the pound and their pts policy by some caring people.

My present dog, Sadie, has been with me 4 years now and was 12 when I found her posted on the internet in urgent need of a foster home as she was going to be pts by her owners. They had her from a puppy for 12 years and didn't want her any more. How does that work? They were terrible people and she was a bit of a cruelty case that had never known love. Their loss though, she is the best dog and has had a much better life with me than previously.

Older dogs are fantastic and I will definitely adopt another when Sadie goes although I hope that's not for a long time to come.

Rainrescue - I dont know if it is just me but that link takes me back to the old page that is not updated - I keep having to type out full web address to get to the new version - not sure if others will be having the same problem.

As for oldies we rescued Millie from Thornberry (she came from a pound and was on her last day) and she is lovely - very old and frail now at the grand age of about 15 - 17ish but I would rehome an old dog again without doubt. I have also had old rats / guinea pigs and have recently fostered some elderly ferrets form Jedi one of whicch is poorly so please send him your best wishes) I would much prefer an older pet to the trials of a younger one!

edit to add pic - couldnt resist!! All my big dogs are classed as seniors now!! THe lab cross and the greyhound are 8 and millie 15 - 17!! Here they all are ......

http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l273/sezbetz/dogs/100_1107.jpg

One of those mind sets that I don't think any pet lover will ever understand I'm afraid - and quite frankly I wouldn't want to :loopy: These people aren't worth a light. As you all quite rightly say - how can anyone have a pet - even for a year - let alone 15/16 years and then just dump it. People should be prosecuted or have to pay a fine for just dumping a pet for a totally pathetic 'makes life easier for me' reason :thumbsup: We had a pony who was 43 years old - and he was on medication - no company would insure him when he was getting on a bit!! but we didn't think twice about stumping up the money. We lost him in 07 and it was absolutely heartbreaking for all - but had him cremated and his ashes returned. We also had a dog with lymphoma - and you hear time after time how people have had their animals pts because they had cancer. Fair enough, in some cases it is for the best - but I find a lot of people just have them pts because it is the dreaded big C and they don't even look into prices etc of chemo. Kelly had another 3 years with a good quality of life before we lost her at 14 years old - bless :sad: People who do this (without it being a very last resort to problem) need their heads read - they are not worthy of the unconditional love and adoration of any animal - - - - - :rant: rant over !!!

Anyone who knows me will know about my old boy who was my first attempt at fostering. Dodger was 12 when he ended up in kennels, he was very distressed had no teeth only stumps and one very unhappy vocal chappie. Im sure Rain shudders at the memory as he was so bad.
We took him for a week which lead to another which lead to forever and i adore him, we guessed if we got 6 months out of him at least he would die happy. That was two years xmas eve just gone and he is doing ok. He causes me lots of tears as sometimes he is his age and i worry but then the next day he is a puppy again.
Maybe he isnt as cute as a puppy, he is grey round his chops, quite thin on his back end, smells like he is dead most of the time and is cantankerous but you know what to me that all equals one thing GEORGEOUS!!!!!!

Anyone told me i would have to give him or any of my other 3 up id fight them to the death before i did it.

People who get rid of the oldie for the cute little puppy need a refferal to the mental health services in my opinion!!!!

Aww sezbetz your 3 are lovely, and isn't it surprising how well oldies can fit in to an existing pack if you choose wisely?

I took on a 11/12 year old girly from a pound we had 3 lovely years together before she had to be pts March last year, it was lovely how she and my own old girl bonded so much so that they slept together and really loved each other, you would never believe that they had only been together for such a short time and in their later years.

I also can't believe how utterly devastated I was when she went, I never thought that she would get under my skin so much, and I meant her not to because I knew that she had breast cancer all along.

An older dog v a puppy, well no competition so far as I'm concerned, I kept my 2 pups and yes they were fun, but they also almost sent me mad :hihi: I won't ever have another.

I have already considered fostering an oldie when my Meg goes though I hope that it won't be for a long long time.

Is the link ok now Sezbetz - it works for me.

Your 3 look brill - and its strange how the one piece of carpet is better with 3 on top isn't it.

I am trying some of the larger rescues who will sometimes help with oldie - if anyone has any contacts for some of the bigger ones further down south - we could see if they would help the 2 older ones. I hear there is also an older staffy in again - god they break my heart.

Sezbetz, that photo is just brill! They all look lovely! See u next week :D

This hits home for me.

We adopted Albert at 8yrs old he had been dumped in a quarry and was found barely alive due to starvation he had big lumps that needed removing and it took months for him to be brought back round.

Tilly we adopted when she was 14 she was in Thornberry and she was again surplus to requirements.

I will always have older dogs they have so much to give and are great characters, i truly don't know or understand how anyone can just get rid of a dog/cat who they have spent years with tis beyond me!!!

I think getting rid of cats at any age is more than justified,
They are useless,two faced,smell,not to mention they pizz all over your house,claw your furniture and even sometimes annoy drivers by going under their tyres which just upsets the kids.
What exactly is the point to having one when all they do is go out and annoy the neighbours yet manage to turn up when its feeding time?

Now Dogs thats another post :)

I think getting rid of cats at any age is more than justified,
They are useless,two faced,smell,not to mention they pizz all over your house,claw your furniture and even sometimes annoy drivers by going under their tyres which just upsets the kids.
What exactly is the point to having one when all they do is go out and annoy the neighbours yet manage to turn up when its feeding time?

Now Dogs thats another post :)

Well if you feel that way then I would be surprised if you ever got one so your answer hardly applies does it?
This is not a cat haters thread thank you very much, there are plenty of threads like that in the main forum for you to join in with if you so wish, very little point in the pet owners group really.

Well if you feel that way then I would be surprised if you ever got one so your answer hardly applies does it?
This is not a cat haters thread thank you very much, there are plenty of threads like that in the main forum for you to join in with if you so wish, very little point in the pet owners group really.

I will post where i want and of the opinion i want thankyou very much.Sorry i dont agree but im sure there are many that do,after all isnt that the point to the thread?

I will post where i want and of the opinion i want thankyou very much.Sorry i dont agree but im sure there are many that do,after all isnt that the point to the thread?

Yes you can post if it is on topic, your post isn't, no one asked whether people liked cats, and lets face it it's just meant to wind people up, you are simply thread spoiling which is against forum rules.

Yes you can post if it is on topic, your post isn't, no one asked whether people liked cats, and lets face it it's just meant to wind people up, you are simply thread spoiling which is against forum rules.

My post WAS about why people ditch cats,isnt that what the topic is about?

just what is it your posts contribute to the topic?

meow or should it be Me How??? :)

My post WAS about why people ditch cats,isnt that what the topic is about?

just what is it your posts contribute to the topic?

meow or should it be Me How??? :)

I started the thread and contributed to it, I am also a moderator and unfortunately had to deviate from the topic to tell you to stop thread spoiling, which I am not going to argue about any further or repeat!

I thought this thread was actually about old things being dumped - it could mean old people - but because its the pet section - best stick to old pets. The majority of us on here can't understand how anyone can dump anything - let along when its old, served yu all your life, been your loyal friend and companion - and then - out with the bath water.

On a brighter note - I have managed to secure 6 really good rescue places and getting out 6 dogs from Sheffield
2 of them are the old girls - of which I'm really pleased.

They are going in our own rain van, and its a Sheffield Forum volunteer who's really kindly offered to spend his day and take them to safety. No doubt the new rescue will find some kind people that don't think old = rubbish.

just this week iv'e took on a 12 year old cat,owners decided to live abroad and not looked into sorting out a home for her,how nice is that so guess what she'll have a loving home for the rest of her days.........few weeks ago groomed a rescue cat that was 19 yrs old owners said couldn't afford her anymore but hey thay could still afford to smoke,it just makes me sick the mentality of some people:rant:........it's a good job there are still some decent folk around who do care :thumbsup:

Then people dump them, dogs and cats, why after them being a part of the family loved by us and loving us back, listen to our troubles...see us as Godlike, never judge us, would follow us to the end of the earth and probably even die for us if we asked it, then they get old and they are no longer wanted.


My god that's sad and depressing.

But so true.

We live in a society where we fear and loathe the elderly. We simply have no respect for them. I can't imagine a time when I couldn't love Zach, and I can't imagine ever having to let him go to someone else. It's just unfathomable to me.

Yet people do it on a daily basis.

I've become a bit wary of tarring the owners of abandoned oldies with the same brush. There are a number of reasons why old dogs end up in kennels and I fully agree that those that offload the oldies in favour of a new pup ought to be brought to book in some way but, as there is no register of pet animals, logistically that's not going to happen. If they can do the deed in the first place, I pity their lovely new puppy's life.

Some old dogs might have been owned by someone that has passed away that had no family, or perhaps none that was prepared to take responsibilty for ensuring that it had a secure future. The abandonment in that situation is not down to the owner that had previously loved the dog, but those responsible for taking care of the deceased's affairs. I've known many cases of owners passing away and their pets being taken to rescue by family who couldn't care for the animal, for whatever reason, and unless I knew their personal circumstances, I'd be reluctant to judge them particularly as they may be grieving. I would say they had been responsible in taking the pet to a place of safety. Those that would leave the pet on the streets are not only callous but have shown the greatest disrespect to the owner that may well have adored their pet more than anything else in the world. I would come back and haunt someone I trusted to secure my animals future, if they simply abandoned them after I'd departed this so-called nation of animal lovers.

All too often these old dogs demonstrate that they once had a good life. Whether they were responsibly handed in to a rescue or dumped on the streets, it must be incredibly bewildering to find themselves in kennels in their twilight years. On this thread alone, many of us have examples of how the ones written off can go on for several years yet. In a couple of weeks time, it will be the second anniversary of Sophie's mysterious appearance at our livery yard. I only took her in after the vet predicted she'd got little more than a couple of months to live but I am confident that she's going to be around for a good while yet. It doesn't bear thinking about that she could have been picked up off the street and taken to a pound. She wouldn't have been given a couple of weeks in her state, let alone months.

This is probably a morbid suggestion, but if people make proper provision for their pets, it may make it less stressful for the pet and the people left behind too. I will never forget the man who took two old dogs into a rescue and him having to be shielded from two irate visitors berating him for dumping his dogs. The poor man was beside himself as the dogs belonged to his partner who had committed suicide and he was distraught that he couldn't keep them due to working away. They were his link to his partner but he had to be realistic about their welfare. It was heart breaking and made me realise that things are never just black and white!

Note: no smileys on this one!