Most people love their pets and canât imagine a life without them. We say things like, âI would never give up my pets,â and, âEven if I lost everything, Iâd still have my pets.â But sometimes the reality is hard to face. Sometimes people are put in situations where it is actually better for the animals to be surrendered. Especially in a situation where vet treatment cannot be provided. Now, I know what youâre thinking... Donât have pets if you arenât prepared to provide treatment! But the reality is that sometimes people fall on unexpected hard times. And itâs usually not until then that something goes horribly wrong, like your car gets crushed by a fallen tree or your dog breaks a leg.
These are Belcalisâ radiographs. When she was picked up by Animal Control, the officer realized she had a limp and took her to the vet. They took these x-rays to discover that she had a broken femur and it appeared to have been an old injury that was left untreated. The leg was trying to heal on its own, but as you can see from the radiographs, it was not healing correctly. The vet determined that one of two things needed to happen: they would need to re-break the leg to set it correctly or they would need to amputate it. Now, every locality is different. In our area, the cheapest we could find for amputation was around $1,000. To re-break the leg and set it correctly could range anywhere from $1,500-2,500. Either treatment would require post-operative care.
When an owner came forward to claim ownership of the puppy, they admitted they couldnât afford to get her leg treated. The shelter gave them the option of surrendering the puppy if they could not provide treatment for her. A day later, they decided to surrender the puppy so that she could get treatment. The shelter vet determined that amputation would be easier for the puppy since there would be less growth issues. Two days later, the puppy underwent surgery to have her leg amputated. Today, she is recovering at my house and is in high spirits!
I know there is a stigma around rehoming or surrendering animals, but if giving an animal up means they will have a better life or get the vet treatment they need, then why is it viewed as such an atrocious act? It is hard enough to give up a pet, and in doing so, it does not mean you donât love that animal. In fact, it is just the opposite. You love that animal so much that youâre willing to make the most difficult decision. A person should not have to deal with the ridicule and judgement of others, and they should never second guess whether they made the right choice. If the outcome is a happy and healthy animal, then there is no doubt in my mind that it was the right choice.Â
Please have some compassion and try not to judge other people so harshly.
