Just needed to vent about poor pet-ownership!

[Karackle]

I'm not sure if this is the appropriate forum to post this in, if not please feel free to move it! Thanks!

Ok so I was perusing craigslist for available fish tanks to see what was out there and I see an ad for a free 10g, well i've been wanting another small tank to use as a hospital/QT tank, so I clicked on the link to find this post:

"I have a 10 gallon fish tank that was left behind by some tenants. It has about 6 fish in it. It is freshwater and I would like someone who wants the tank and the fish."
​

How could someone just LEAVE BEHIND THEIR TANK?! It makes me so angry and sad. Thank goodness the landlord is a caring enough person not to just flush the fish and wants them to go to someone who wants them! There was a family that left behind their cat when they moved in the neighborhood i grew up in, it just drives me crazy when people leave behind their pets! AAARRGH!!!! Ok sorry....i just needed to gripe about that and i figured it would fall on sympathetic ears here....Thanks for listening!

 

[meegosh]

That is rather sad. I saw a show, I think it was Animal Cops, where people moved out of their house after a fire and left their dogs in their backyard. A week went by and no one showed up to take care of them, the neighbors were nice enough to give them food and water for the week. Regardless, the humane society had to show up and catch them all. I feel that people should care for their pets as if they were part of the family. Ie., don't leave them behind.

Anyways... are you going to take them? Can't beat the price!

 

[Karackle]

I know, some people should just not be allowed to own pets. It's so sad. Those poor dogs! I hate hearing things like that. I know it's a tough time if your house caught fire, but like you said, those dogs should be considered part of your family! If you wouldn't leave your children behind, why is ok to leave your dogs?! UNfortunately i think some people see pets as living toys, not living beings with feelings and needs. Alas...

Anyway, yes i did, respond to the post, still waiting to hear back. It's been up for a few days so the tank and its inhabitants may have already gone to a good home, but the poster did say they'd be gone for a few days, so perhaps they're still away (and hopefully they left the filter and everything turned on in the tank!) But no, you can't beat the price! And i hate to see homeless pets!

 

[gsongy]

That is sad! I have a friend who was telling me about people he came across with who left cats behind. He has a kind heart so he takes these cats into his house and becomes his new pets. He has around 15 cats now, he is known simply as the Catman.


Gerald

 

[nyrmel]

I will say that the last time we moved we had to leave a few pets behind about a week before we where ready to leave we caught and put our 3 cats in the bathroom (they liked to disappear for a day of 2 at a time so we wanted to keep them safe) my sister came and took her cat and unfortutuantly one got out. We where and still are on really good terms with our then neighbors and they kept an eye out but petunia never came back (she had been acting strange and we think she may have had a new family) In the same move we also had to leave our fish. But it was made very clear to the new buyers/owners that they could only have the house with pond out back if they agreed to care for the fish. (we would have otherwise transfered them to a freind across town who was setting up an above ground water garden pond (which would have I admit been just a tad to small for all the koi at there current size) I think it worked out rather well but was very saad. The new owners where very glad to take over the pond and asked lots of Q's about there care and pond maintence even going so far as coming over to help change clean filters and for several feedings, they seemed to be in good hands. Once we moved to our new house and made it thru our first winter here we dug a new pond bigger and better than the last and got new fish. But still kinda miss things 1 and 2, trout, pretty boy, the oringinal pig and our frog chorus ( cant seem to get frogs to come to our pond now it is just a tad cold we think)

 

[Karackle]

Well leaving the pond in the good hands of the new owners and the cats in the care of your sister (it's unfortunate about the one that got out!) Is an entirely different story than simply leaving your pets! I of course understand there are circumstances where one simply could not bring their pets with them for one reason or another, but you were responsible and made sure they had a loving home at least! That would go under the "good pet ownership" not "poor pet ownership"

 

[nyrmel]

oh well one of the cats came with us and became an indoor cat since we have coyotes and coons here it wasnt safe for spark to be outside. Of course the one time she did get out didnt last long lol we had just gotten a foot of snow and she didnt like that white stuff one bit one bit cant imagine why???????????
We now have 3 new cats spark passed about 2 years after we moved here she was 14

 

[Karackle]

Well that's good, sorry to hear she passed, but I understand the need for her to be an indoor cat with coyotes around! But yes, you are a responsible pet owner, the people who left their tank behind....much less so!

 

[gsongy]

Making arrangements for the pets to be cared for is a sign of responsible pet owners, leaving them behind to die is not. I am sure it is hard to leave a pet behind, but arrangements for their care after you leave is a good sign.

Often when someone moves, the option of having pets is no longer available. Maybe these people could not take these fish or cats or dogs because that couldn't. I would hope that was the case and they didn't know anyone to take them and left them hoping the new owners would take them in as a best case scenario.

Gerald

 

[Karackle]

Oh i totally agree that sometimes one simply can't take their pet for whatever reason, and perhaps you're correct that they were hoping the next tenant would take them in, however, I suppose this case just particularly irked me because this is a college town and based on when the landlord posted (beginning of June) in my mind there's a 95% or more chance that these were students and I find it hard to believe that they could not find a new home for a 10g aquarium....it seems to me that with minimal effort they could have easily rehomed their fish, either by posting on craigslist themselves, or asking around with friends and friends of friends. In any case, I'm glad the landlord wants the fish to go to a good home!

 

[tropicfishman]

you think thats bad? I had a friend who's parents were landlords and they called me in a panic one day. apperently one of there homes they rent was vacant for about 4 months with no heat or electricity in the middle of winter. The last tenants left behind 6 terrariums built into a wall unit like the pet shops have...every one of them was full of snakes! they hadn't had any heat, light, water or food in months!!! I took them all home, fattened them up and bought them better tanks and equipment, now they are part of the family lol. I got 3 ball pythons, a very pretty black snake, a rainbow boa and a ton of garter snakes that I ended up releasing into the woods behind my house. Its a real shame what people will do to some animals that they claim they " love "

 

[Karackle]

Wow that is awful! Reptiles are amazingly resilient! I'm glad you were able to rescue them!!! It sounds like they found an excellent home, stories like yours are what keep my faith in the human race as a whole! Thanks for sharing

 

[nyrmel]

Snakes *shiver* I dont do snakes EVER but I cant imagine leaving pets like that. I would guess since it was winter that the snakes survived by hibernating as they would in the wild during colder months
I luckily live where there really are NO wild snakes bears coons and coyotes are plenty tyvm. But I am glad that these snakes found a home they are still part of God's creation, and even if they are horibly upsetting to see watch look at or touch they deserve still deserve to survive (just far far away from me)
And yes I have a good reason for not liking snakes, No it isnt all reptiles just a few minor and one major incident involing a 6+ ft (appanently hungry) boa me at the age 6 and a scared look on the handlers face when he saw what the boa was doing. But *twitch* I really didn't let that effect me *twitch*