Rehoming Woes: What is morally vs. financially right?

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I am always surprised at how many people can't keep their pets and must find a home for them. There are so many reasons: allergies, no commitment, behavioral issues, moving, different financial situation etc.

I also observe quite a few posts relating how disgusted that particular poster is that anyone would give up a family pet. "How could they? Why didn't they research? Why can't those people just find a way (because there must be a way) to keep it?"

Obviously, this relates more to cats/dogs/horses than to reptiles (although I am sure there is stigma in selling/rehoming reptiles as well).

My question is: should there be stigma attached to rehoming/adopting out a pet? How about if you exhaust your options and bring it to a shelter/rescue?

What about if that animal unexpectedly needs medical care that you cannot provide and still stay financially stable? We all know that you shouldn't take on the commitment of an animal without knowing that we have enough money for bad situations, but where do we draw that line? Where do we say "This horse/dog/cat has had enough treatment, we could spend hundreds of thousands on it to fix the issue, or it could be adopted out instead" Vet bills for some animals are so high! Dow e have to have hundreds of thousands of dollars on hand at all times to own a horse/dog/cat? Or do we take a chance that the horse/dog/cat may stay healthy and sound?

I know that this is a controversial issue to some people. And I know that there seems to be more stigma attached to trying to rid yourself of a furry pet than a snake or a lizard.


It has just been on my mind as I peruse the Craigslist ads....and I wondered what you all think about it as lovers of animals?:idea:

 

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I also observe quite a few posts relating how disgusted that particular poster is that anyone would give up a family pet. "How could they? Why didn't they research? Why can't those people just find a way (because there must be a way) to keep it?"

BTW, I didn't mean here on cs.com, I meant on Craigslist! Sorry for any confusion!

 

[bitsy]

As far as I'm concerned, any reason to rehome any animal is valid, as long as the owner takes the trouble to make sure the next home is a good and caring one.

The morally wrong position would be to keep an animal that you knew you no longer had the time, money, stamina or inclination to care for properly.

I'm all in favour of responsible rehoming; the reason for it is irrelevant.

 

[TWGarland]

bitsy:
The morally wrong position would be to keep an animal that you knew you no longer had the time, money, stamina or inclination to care for properly.

Thats very true, but also

The morally wrong position would be to BUY an animal that you knew you may not have the time, money, stamina or inclination to care for properly, but saying that no one can predict the future, their future financial position in particular :shrugs:

 

[Tula_Montage]

I'm all in favour of responsible rehoming; the reason for it is irrelevant.

I agree, the home is far more important than the reason for moving it.

What I absolutly disagree with is the stigma attached to reptiles as disposable pets. All too often people buy 10 baby corns within the space of a month only to realise they don't like corns, so they rehome them all to buy 10 royal pythons. Thats ok if they are moved to 10 fabulous homes but what happens when that person gets bored or royal pythons? Whats the next phase going to be?

I feel that if you are going to buy an animal you need to consider it long term ie the life of that animal. You need to be prepared for vet bills and any other health issues that come along. Thus when I consider buying a new animal I need to make sure I want to look at it for the next 15-30 years (depending on species). I get so freakin attached to my animals that It drives me into a depressive state at the very thought of giving any of them up.

Recently I have seen a few collections being sold in the UK due to enlisting in the army and being sent away sooner than anticipated. If you KNEW you were being shipped abroad why take on the responsibility of long term pets?

I think people that know they have commitments or perhaps hurdles in the future need to buy a hamster instead of a reticulated python.

 

[clipclopclip]

As far as I'm concerned, any reason to rehome any animal is valid, as long as the owner takes the trouble to make sure the next home is a good and caring one.

The morally wrong position would be to keep an animal that you knew you no longer had the time, money, stamina or inclination to care for properly.

I'm all in favour of responsible rehoming; the reason for it is irrelevant.

I agree. I wonder why people get so angry about rehoming?

 

[Plissken]

I feel that having pets means making a committment for the whole of that animal's life.

Things like vet fees should be taken into account when considering buying a pet. I have a second savings account put aside for emergencies and all my animals are insured so I can't be caught out with vet bills. I do not earn a huge amount of money and would probably struggle if a huge vet bill occured but this is how I do my best to cover myself and those in my care.

I would only give up my pets if I could physically no longer care for them, ie I were to become disabled or something of the sort.

I can understand some situations demanding that we give up our pets, but it's a total last resort for me.

 

[Ohana]

I agree with both bitsy and TWGarland.

My big thing is yes do the research, make sure you fully understand what is required to take care of the pet, and make an educated decision. I really dislike spontaneous purchases or adoptions.

Personally, I have a dog that I really could careless if he is in my house. But, because I love animals and I know how much trouble he is I will never get rid of him. For me personally this doesn't mean his care suffers, in fact it is quite the opposite, I do absoluting everything necessary to make sure he lives a long and pain free life. I also make sure that he enjoys his time on this earth, so he has tons of toys, goes to the park, goes camping and if I were to ask him, I know he would say he loves me. (I love him too, but he is a royal pain in the ..... sometimes). He is 9 years old, I met him when he was 2 years old and he is healthier now because of my care then he was at 2 years old.

Now, none of us can completely understand someone elses position, so to judge them is wrong. All we can do is help the animals out where we can and hope that whatever the reason is for rehoming an animal they do find it a good home. We can hope that the next time the person will make a better educated decision the next time. (for those that loose their jobs or something like that, this can't be helped and I am sure they are heart broken! but their mouth comes first.)

 

[crackerhead]

I have to say that I agree with "rehoming" as a benefit for the animal.
But I also get seriously cranked up when people purchase an animal without doing the proper research beforehand. :angry01: I work in a family owned pet store. I turn away a lot of potential pet "buyers", because they are clueless as to the care of the animal they are about to buy. I can not even begin to tell you how many people dump animals at the store or call trying to dump them just because they are bored with them or their kids no longer show an interest. I make it a policy not to accept animal dumps, I don't want to encourage irresponsible pet ownership, but some people leave them at the door before we open! We board animals while people are on vacation. Some people falsify the boarding info and then never pickup the animal. That's just sad. HELLO parents out there, teach your kids by example; animals are NOT accessories to be discarded when the next hot item comes along. :smash: In cases such as these I'm all for stigma being associated with "rehoming". Otherwise these people become serial "rehomers".
This kind of animosity doesn't apply to responsible people looking to find a new home for an animal they are unable to properly care for due to unforseen circumstances. I think we all know the difference and treat the person accordingly. I've purchase 5 collections this year because the owners fell on hard times; medical, financial, personal. It happens and as a community we pitch in and help find new homes for the animals. In these cases it benefits the animals and the people. So as Martha says,"It's a good thing."
Terri
PS - Thanks for letting me rant!

 

[Nanci]

Sometimes an animal just doesn't work out for you. They can (may?) be treated more as livestock rather than family members. Nearly every horse I have owned has been sold on to another family- only one has died in my care. I'm sure the people I bought them from were happy to pass them on to me, and I was happy with the homes I resold them into. I've never re-homed a cat. I've sold a couple dogs that weren't working out, to people I knew that they would fit in better with.

My snakes, though- I bought them all for what they were with no expectations of show-quality or child-compatibleness or the capacity to be house-trained. I can't think of a situation other than a dire personal emergency that would cause me to want to re-home them. But if I did- if I had to, I think as long as I found the best home I could, that would be ok. I have taken in a good number of snakes for various reasons- personality conflict, too small to reach breeding size in a reasonable amount of time, owner having a dire personal emergency. I'll go on to give them the best quality of life I can- which I think is pretty good for a pet snake. I don't feel disgusted that their owners gave up/sold them, but maybe that's because I know them either via this forum or in real life, and know that they were prepared to care for that snake, were experienced keepers, the snakes just weren't right for them, at that time. I'm grateful that I have had these second-hand animals come into my collection and value each as if they had been long-researched purchases.

 

[bitsy]

The morally wrong position would be to BUY an animal that you knew you may not have the time, money, stamina or inclination to care for properly

All too often people buy 10 baby corns within the space of a month only to realise they don't like corns, so they rehome them all.

Agree with comments above about responsible purchasing - which goes hand-in-hand with responsible selling. Anyone offering Corn hatchlings for a knock-down pocket-money price, might think about what sort of attitude that encourages? As a breeder myself, it's an uncomforable thought after a slow season, when you're left with a brace of Corns that you'd just like to move on.

Also, finding that you own an animal that you can no longer look after (for whatever reason), is one thing. But lack of planning and careful consideration before buying is definitely irresponsible.

Having said that, I'd still see it as the right thing for someone to rehome an animal that just turned out to be "more trouble than it's worth" to them.

 

[clipclopclip]

What I absolutly disagree with is the stigma attached to reptiles as disposable pets. All too often people buy 10 baby corns within the space of a month only to realise they don't like corns, so they rehome them all to buy 10 royal pythons. Thats ok if they are moved to 10 fabulous homes but what happens when that person gets bored or royal pythons? Whats the next phase going to be?

This happens all too often, especially it seems with large constrictors. I think we need a lot more information and education out there about reptiles, especially large ones that look so small and cute as babies. I always am impressed when someone rehoming a baby retic states that it will get big and eat larger rodents.

 

[Tula_Montage]

Agree with comments above about responsible purchasing - which goes hand-in-hand with responsible selling. Anyone offering Corn hatchlings for a knock-down pocket-money price, might think about what sort of attitude that encourages? As a breeder myself, it's an uncomforable thought after a slow season, when you're left with a brace of Corns that you'd just like to move on.

Responsible selling is more of an issue than rehoming I think. I know a few breeders that would sell to anyone for any price. Market saturation (ie too many normal corns at one time of the year) leads to silly prices which IMO undervalude the animal for what it is. Cheap animals cause impulse buys and are likley the first to be rehomed when something fancier comes along...

 

[Tula_Montage]

This happens all too often, especially it seems with large constrictors. I think we need a lot more information and education out there about reptiles, especially large ones that look so small and cute as babies. I always am impressed when someone rehoming a baby retic states that it will get big and eat larger rodents.

Personally I think the buying and selling any constrictor with an adult length of over 7ft should be liscenced... I don't think common boas should be sold in pet shops nevermind burms and retics. People just don't get educated when buying these large consictors as their first snake.

Perhaps introducing a liscence that you need to pay for and renew yearly will cut out the the idiots who just want a large snake to off to friends from serious boid keepers and enthusiasts.

I am kinda baffled as to why this has not already been implimented as large constrictors seem to be the at the root of the majority of bad press for the reptile community.

 

[airenlow]

My only experience is with the big fuzzy ones. I have had 2 roommates in the past that got dogs just to realise they didnt have the resources to take care of them. The first one got a Doberman puppy...we were in a 2 br duplex and there was ZERO room for this dog to move around. The kid was a full time student and had a full time job so he never had any time for the animal. I ended up training the dog and taking care of him 75% of the time (like when the kid went to Chicago for 2 weeks and didn't bother to set up any arrangements for the dog). I actually turned him in to animal control for some of the stuff he did. About 3 months after he got the dog, his girlfriend talked him into taking it back to the breeder where they got him.

The second roommate did the exact same thing...got an Italian Greyhound because everybody else in college has pets. She also goes to school and works so the dog is stuck in a 12x12 room around the clock. She doesn't understand why her dog is so hyper all the time or why he craps on the carpet. The dog has pulled up the carpet, scratched through a window screen and chewed through a closet door. All because she is a stupid *expletive*!

I learned from this and did my research before getting a pet. I read care sheets, got on here and got my whole viv set up before I even thought about buying my corn (6 weeks to be exact). I'm not super attached to him but I know that I took on the responsibility and need to follow through with it at all costs.

So, I guess I would want to see the animal go to a good home rather than being neglected. But if people would do a little research first, they wouldn't be in this situation to begin with.

 

[SnakesRule1234]

I agree with Bitsy... every word of it.

I'm moving this Summer so I have to rehome all of my snakes. It sucks, but I make sure to keep in touch with the person I give the snake to. If I feel they are unresponsible, I take the snake(s) back. I took my corn snake and garter back not too long ago because of this reason. I don't give a crap about the money, but if I'm rehoming on CL I feel like a need to have a fee because if I have it for free some kid could just take it and abuse it, like you hear on the news.
I also make sure to have a looong convo on the phone about care and I ask them what they know about the care and stuff.

I'm going to try and take Pers. and Spike to where I'm moving but it so many things you have to do + the actual move.

Every time I get a snake I consider it as a long term commitment, and I never plan on giving it up a month after I get it.

 

[clipclopclip]

I think that the nature of the animal has a lot to do with how much stigma is attached to rehoming it.

It seems to me there is way too much emotion involved in keeping a furry pet (thus the stigma), and too little in keeping a reptile (thus the disposability).

 

[TWGarland]

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I think that the nature of the animal has a lot to do with how much stigma is attached to rehoming it.

It seems to me there is way too much emotion involved in keeping a furry pet (thus the stigma), and too little in keeping a reptile (thus the disposability).

I definately agree with you,

Maybe its because with some larger mammals, i'm thinking of dogs in particular and maybe horses and cats, they form a bond with their owner, leading to increased stresses when re-homed, a problem that doesn't exist with a reptile that couldn't care less personally if its moved home, as long as its being cared for properly.

Maybe thats why there's more stigma attached to re-homing fuzzy animals :shrugs:

Tom

 

[Monger]

I'll need to be rehoming two of my three cats in the next couple of months. I'm moving from about across country (and Canada is a big country!) and simply can't afford to bring them all with me. I'm not happy about it, but it's necessary

 

[Plissken]

Personally I think the buying and selling any constrictor with an adult length of over 7ft should be liscenced... I don't think common boas should be sold in pet shops nevermind burms and retics. People just don't get educated when buying these large consictors as their first snake.

Perhaps introducing a liscence that you need to pay for and renew yearly will cut out the the idiots who just want a large snake to off to friends from serious boid keepers and enthusiasts.

I am kinda baffled as to why this has not already been implimented as large constrictors seem to be the at the root of the majority of bad press for the reptile community.

This is a decent idea, although I would probably have a length of 8ft. I sometimes think that licencing ALL reptiles should be done although I really don't know how practical/enforceable it would be.

Better education is needed. I remember once going in a local exotic pet shop and looking at the snakes there. They had warning labels on a BRB, stating that the snake could get to 7ft - well that is a big BRB and even then I would consider that snake to be manageable. But they had baby burms and anacondas with no warnings whatsoever. :shrugs:

I would like to see a little more regulation on the purchasing of giant snakes, and then maybe the number of constrictors in the rehoming system would fall.