"I killed my pets to move in with my fiancé…"

MSNBC ^ | June 21, 2005 | Dr. Gail Saltz (advice columnist )

[grundle]

Q: About a year ago, I made the heart-wrenching decision to leave a great job, house, friends and family to move to Hawaii with my fiancé.

As part of this transition, I also chose to have my two beloved chow chow dogs put to sleep.

I adored those dogs, but I justified their sacrifice to the greater good of a successful relationship.

After six months, I am still tormented by memories of my dogs. The depths of anguish and loss make me think I got rid of them for purely selfish reasons, which is the kind of behavior I thought I reviled. I feel that I have gone from dog-lover to dog-killer in one trans-Pacific flight.

A: I am truly sorry you feel so wracked with guilt about your decision to put your dogs to sleep.

[speed_addiction]

My girlfriend hates cats with a passion. Can't stand them, but she would never ask me to get rid of my 19 pound, yellow tabby, tomcat, Beebo. He does not like her anymore than she likes him, but they have an uneasy truce where they stay out of each other's way. One condition of the truce is that she feed him when I am not around and he will leave her drapes and plants unharmed.


What We Are About To Do Here Is What The Good Lord Would Call A Cleansing of the Wicked. I Call It A Good Old Fashioned Texas Ass Kicking.

[Maximus of Texas]

Not sure about that. If someone laid out $500 million and said "put your dog to sleep and its yours", I'd be surprised at the number of folks who would say "hell yeah". Not saying you would but there are a lot of people who make the "no amount of money" claim but like they say, everyone has a price.

The nice part is that no one is ever going to throw that kind of money at us so we really don't have to worry about making that decision.

[technochick99]

Men come and go. Dogs are with you for life. How sad....

[rattrap]

:-)

That tagline is.. err.. "fascinating"

[HOTTIEBOY]

Nice R1

[Dashing Dasher]

I have a fan club, you know!

[RouxStir]

I ran into a somewhat similar situation a few years ago at my vets. A childless couple had a 1 year old Persian cat when they found out the wife was pregnant. They decided that they did not want to have the cat and the child so they brought the cat to my vets to be euthanized...nothing wrong with him, they just didn't want anyone else owning him. This is the same mentality that ex-spouse-muderers use to legitimize murdering their ex's. And yes, to many, it's "just a cat" but that doesn't change the fact that the people making this decision have a mental illness and should not have a cat, much less a child. What happens if their first child is ugly and they have a second child that is beautiful? Is that first child going to mysteriously disappear?

Fortunately, my vet offered to dispose of the cat's body for the couple, which they accepted. And the vet did not euthanize the cat, found a home for him where he still happily lives with stable humans.

[rattrap]

When does the term go from fan to stalker? About the time the restraining order is issued?

[alwaysconservative]

Thanks for the ping, and I totally agree about someone who loves you not asking you to give up ANYONE. How you treat your committment to your pet is an illustration of how you approach other committments. This dip**** KILLED creatures who loved her and were dependant on her so she could be with her boyfriend.

And I further agree with some of the other posters that a society that allows "disposable people" because they are not "convenient" is responsible for this travesty.

[speed_addiction]

Nice R1

That is my baby! That is another thing that anyone I get involved in a relationship with will have to accept. I ride motorcycles. Fast ones. Have since I was 17. Have wadded up my share of them and I am not about to stop riding now for anybody.


What We Are About To Do Here Is What The Good Lord Would Call A Cleansing of the Wicked. I Call It A Good Old Fashioned Texas Ass Kicking.

[HairOfTheDog]

Fortunately, my vet offered to dispose of the cat's body for the couple, which they accepted. And the vet did not euthanize the cat, found a home for him where he still happily lives with stable humans.

Strange as it may sound, that was a breach of ethics, and if he did that, he never should have told anyone.

[Dashing Dasher]

Do you really want me to answer these questions?

[ThisLittleLightofMine]

I have read in recent months is that between 30 and 50 million fetus have been aborted since we re-read the Constitution with the light turned on.

Kind of sucks that this many of my peers will not be helping to pay their parents ss payments.

[HairOfTheDog]

Would that be you position if she was seriously allergic to cats? Many people are...including me.

Then it's possible someone who loved cats would never be happy with you. It's not about relative worth, it's about compatibility. Would you undergo allergy desensitization or take medication for life in order to be with her?

[HOTTIEBOY]

You sir, have your priorities in order. Same here.

Everyone I meet knows they are getting involved with a motorcyclist. (not a biker, there's a difference). They sign the contract at the beginning when they get involved.

[rattrap]

Nah, I wouldn't want to jeopardize the case. :-P

[madprof98]

I'll bet this "fiance" has yet to provide her with a ring and a date.

[Chanticleer]

My neighbor has three lab-chow mix female puppies. The look cute; what five week old puppy doesn't? My kids are going nuts begging to have a puppy. I actually have been planning to get a puppy -- maybe a purebred lab or a standard poodle. The chow part makes me nervous, but they've been raised in a family home with children. Any thoughts on a chow-lab mix?

[bkepley]

"If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men."


- St. Francis of Assisi -

PETA would approve. Putting an animal down can be done with compassion and pity.

[Dashing Dasher]

Chows are notoriously "face biters" but a Lab Mix tempers most bad traits in a breed.

I bet they are awesome.... Puppies are so darn cute!

How old are the kids!