Posted on 01/31/2006 1:21:51 PM PST by 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.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
Actually,I think it is a case of relative worth in certain circumstances.If it was my sweetheart who had the allergy,I can't see *not* giving up my pet.And no,I wouldn't expect her to take pills or get shots because there's not a pill or shot in existence that doesn't carry at least *some* risk.
Human beings always have been,and always will be,far more important than a pet.
My kids range from 5 (almost 6) to 17, and they've been raised with animals, so I'm not worried about them. But I have a 4-H club that meets at my house, and we have lots of kids going in and out from time to time. We currently have the sweetest calico cat on the planet and the most mellow 9-year old Australian Shepherd. I would hope that if the little girl were properly cared for and trained, she would be fine... but I am leery about chows. Labs are awesome, if stinky, so that part is fine.
Namely how did she reach the conclusions that she did?
That is,somehow this would make life less stressful.
I saw no where what her fiancé had to say on the issue and wonder the exact circumstances of the relationship.
My gut feeling is that this had more to do with hims than is let on.
I would`nt be surprised if some day she finds that his concern for her is not what she thinks it to be.
"Any thoughts on a chow-lab mix?"
I have one. She was sort of star-crossed as a puppy, but is a very sweet-natured adult. Her Chow nature and her Lab nature do tend to battle one another, though. She's not quite as sociable with strangers as my full Lab is, but I wouldn't call her disagreeable, just a little standoffish. She *wants* to like water, but hates getting her feet wet, which is comical to watch. She's a "licker," which feels wonderful on tired, hot feet, but some people think that's disgusting (I don't, fortunately). I love her and have no regrets, but will admit that I wondered what I had taken on, when she was around nine months to a year old. A lot of it boils down to how much time you have to work with the puppy, so it grows up knowing how it's expected to behave.
blech...
I think I am going to skip dinner now....
I don't like Cats but damned if I am going to do that to kittens....
This was done for a variety of reasons, including their age and temperament, the smaller living quarters in Hawaii, the tropical climate and frequent travels, all with the goal of making our new life as stress-free as possible. I adored those dogs, but I justified their sacrifice to the greater good of a successful relationship.
In other words, "There were a lot of reasons, but my personal convenience trumped them all, and I tried to allay my guilt on the front end by being dishonest with myself so I could work up the nerve to off them."
It depends on whether animals are a big or small part of someone's life. Obviously, if someone's major hobby is cats, then you're asking the person to change who they are.
I'd try the desensitizing before I'd ask they change for me.
I'd think you'd be okay.
Especially if the puppy is raised with lots of kids around.
I was trying to point out that the adoption route might have only traumatized the dogs for no reason who would have ended up being put down anyway. The fact is it's impossible to find all animals a home, even pups. One of my friends is a dog adopter and I know. Do you adopt dogs?
It must give you an awful lot of pleasure, just looking at that cat. You done good!
That reminds me of that Farrah Fawcett movie where she shot her 3 kids because her boyfriend didn't like kids.... Suppsingly a true story.
Surprised nobody has yet mentioned a man who killed his wife's cats so he could live with his girlfriend, and then IIRC didn't end up moving in with her anyway.
Would that be the same "man" who later killed both of his parents and his wife? The same one whose concubine's mother died mysteriously in his home?
I doubt that adoption would traumatize any of them nearly as much as a few cc's of pentobarbital.
Don't get me wrong, I believe in canine euthanasia when appropriate, but I don't believe it was in this case. The woman obviously takes major commitment less than seriously; likewise, her paramour is pretty unyielding as well...I doubt their relationship will last...
I adored those dogs, but I justified their sacrifice to the greater good of a successful relationship."
It's the relationship du jour with her, and before long there will be another man with whom she will be convinced she can have a more, "successful relationship," and the old guy will be discarded like last week's buttermilk.
Someone gave me a chow, I'd put it to sleep.
they eat the damn things in Korea. ;o)
EEEWwwwwwww
YUM. Chihuahua on a stick.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.