The number one reason people drop off their pets at the pound?

I'm not talking about strays or nuisance animals. What is the biggest reason people leave their pets?|||This was a list compiled by my fiance for a rescue where we volunteered. He posted it on their site. The comments in the parens are his... It's funny but then again, it's not. We heard every one of these:








The dog barks (Really?! You're kidding!)


The dog has fleas (Are you sure it's the dog who has fleas? If so, one flea treatment will solve the problem.)


Cries at night (This was a dog that was locked in a storage room.)


He was cute as a puppy, but now he's not (We could probably say the same about you!)


He chews (This was, of course, a 3-month-old puppy cutting teeth.)


She's pregnant (And whose fault is that?)


He sheds (Newsflash: so do you.)


Won't stay off the furniture (Two Words: obedience class)


My girlfriend hates dogs (And yet, your dog loves her. Can't you work out a compromise?!)


He digs (Because he is bored. Throw him a tennis ball once in awhile.)


We're having a baby (Congratulations! Your labrador will love your new child...child = food crumbs!)


We're moving (Excellent! Labradors love new places.)


Eats too much (Translation: you feed too much.)


He runs along the fence and now we can't get grass to grow (A bag of grass seed costs around $7.00, straw is free. Problem solved.)


We aren't home much (Then why did you get a dog?)


My girlfriend loves dogs, but she hates this one (Are you sure it's the dog she has a problem with?)


Sleeps too much (Probably because he/she is bored.)


She's gotten pregnant twice this year (Once again...whose fault is this?!)


Don't have time to walk him (You can't spare 20 minutes a day? Come on! It's good for you, too!)


Wants to sit in my husband's lap (So, you're saying your dog is TOO affectionate?!)


Demands too much attention (Probably because he/she is bored.)


His barking is irritating (I'm sure some folks say the same thing about your talking, and yet...)


Poops too much (What are you feeding it?!)


We didn't know that it would cost so much to have a pet (Surprise! Having a pet is like having a child, only more furry.)


Chases cars (Fence? Leash? Collar? Any of these ring a bell?)


We got new carpeting (And that is your dog's fault? Who was there first?)


Is now blind (And so you want to send it to a strange place?!)


Growls at my mother (No comment...)


Eats our neighbor's newspapers (Once again, sounds like your dog is bored.)


His ears are too long (So? You're @ss is too big...but we're not ready to give you up for adoption.)


Is a messy eater (Your lab can't help that he/she can't use cutlery. Paper towels cost about $6.99 in bulk.)


We're going on vacation (And your dog can't come with you? Can you board him/her for a few days?)


Neighbor doesn't like him (Is it because your dog eats his newspapers?)


We bought our dream house (Wonderful! Sounds like your dog will have more space, too!)


Having kids and a dog is too overwhelming! (Trust me - the dog will take less time and energy than the children.)


We got a new dog (What a great idea! Labradors love other dogs!)|||It mostly all boils down to laziness.





Too lazy to train the behavior problems wether it be chewing, housebreaking, two dogs don't get along ........ the list can go forever. or to to damn lazy to take a pet to get altered and now its pregnant to to lazy to find a home to move to with their pet to to lazy to attempt to find a home for the pet.|||Because they don't consider how HUGE the responsibility of owning a pet is. They just think it's cute and take it home. After a period of time they don't want to take care of them anymore and they just dump them. I volunteer for some local animal rescues and people do this every single day. It's sad. A pet is a responsibility! Poor babies =[|||cute little pup grew into an adult dog that's too hard to handle





novelty wore off





wrong breed for the family lifestyle





lack of education toward dog ownership





not properly trained or socialized so dog has become over anxious (chews furniture, had become aggressive)





too old to be bothered with





pup been brought as replacement.





change of circumstance





new baby takes priority








the list could go on........|||1) usually because the animal empties its bladder and/or bowels on the floor one too many times....who knows





It is hardly ever for one of the BS excuses given by people who drop off their unwanted pets.





I'd sure like to ask that of the person that dropped an 8-10 week old black kitten in our workplace parking lot on a blistering hot summer day a couple months ago.....That little kitty is now named Gypsy and is a loved pet in my house|||cant take care of them anymore|||Because they made an impulse decision to acquire the pet without properly researching or preparing for what would be involved in the future. They put no effort into training, housebreaking, grooming, or medical needs. When the 'cuteness' of the baby has gone and it's a rambunctious teenager tearing up the house, it then becomes an 'inconvenience' and it is treated like trash and thrown away.|||Not being able to take care of them. Most people don't understand that animals are like children you need to give them time and care for them or they get sad and sometimes die. Strays are animals that some people just put out on the street because they are too ignorant to know that they can actually give the animal a second chance by taking him/or her to the Humane Society, they are a ni kill facility as opposed to the pound which gives them 7 days and kills them.


MP|||they dont want them any more


they have moved and cant keep them


they have had a baby and have no time for the animal anymore


it takes up to much of there time|||i would say cuz they are bad...





cuz i have really thought about it w/ the kitten i have right now but i know i would miss him later and feel bad if he got put down|||Behavior issues. The vast majority of which could have been avoided with proper training and puppy rearing. Another reason why people should research ALL that is involved in having a dog BEFORE getting one.





http://www.showdog-magazine.com/Articles鈥?/a>





"As a group, pet behavior problems accounted for the greatest reason for relinquishment, representing 12 percent of the total."|||Some people dont realise that getting a dog is responsibility. It not always fun and its not a plaything for kids. When they feel the puppy / dog does demand a lot of care and attention, they are unable to cope. Hence they desert them.|||At our pound I always see it listed as "Can't afford" - sad.|||because they have black hearts and buy them untill they get boreed with them|||Behavior issues with the pet (and this is usually a direct result of lack of training on their part).|||Irresponsibility. They are too irresponsible to research the breed best for them, locate a responsible breeder, properly have the puppy vetted, and teach the puppy manners. Therefore, when they don't get along its personality, can't give it back to the breeder, gets some treatable illness, and jumps on people, soils the house, or bites, they dump it in the shelter. It's ALL irresponsibility. They give it various names, like 'moving', 'allergies', 'no time'...but it still boils down to irresponsibility.|||I would think the the number one reason is people buy a pet on impulse without thinking how much work it takes to own a pet or they acwuire a pet unsuitable for their lifestyle.|||they don't have enough time for them? ?|||they get tired of the dog, really the cute little puppy grows up and are not as cute and playfull so they decide to get rid of the dog only to get yet another cute adorable puppy and the cycly continues God Bless|||I had to give mine away because he tore up the entire fence and I had no where to keep him anymore.|||In my life I have dropped one dog off at the pound. I feel bad about it.





The reason we did it was that the dog was uncontrollable. She barked, chewed, pushed over, and would not listen. We took the cheaper and easier way out than sending her to obedience training.





I wish we had done it differently.|||They become incontinent,|||They move to a place that does not allow their animal.|||I suspect that the dog is untrained and the person is too stupid to understand that they are responsible to train their dog. Unfortunately they don't automatically come completely trained and ready for morons. Takes time and effort!|||There are a few number ones:





"Moving and can't keep the pet."





"New baby and can't keep the pet"





"Can't control the dog"|||We have heard them all about the same amount of times.


"My family member has just been allergic to it."


"The owner went overseas. He's a marine."


"We are moving."


"The dog is just not doing well with the other animals."


"The puppy peed on my expensive carpet."


"The cat is clawing my italian leather."


"We got another animal and our old one is too old."


"I swear I don't own this dog. It's name is Boo and he love..."





It is just sad.|||finances or behavioral issues|||Lack of integrity. They are unable to live with the consquences of the decisions they make, when the animal becomes a bother, they just drop it off.





Sadly, it's the same reason there are a lot of issues in the world.|||To have them put down.|||Selfishness. That is the underlying reason behind all of the excuses that they give. Here are the things I hear most often at the shelter:


"I'm moving"-so find a place that allows dogs


"I'm pregnant"-dogs and kids have coexisted for centuries, it will be more work but it can be done


"Divorce"-the dog would rather live with one of you than neither of you


"I didn't know puppies were so much work"-then you should have done your homework before you took on the responsibility


"It got too big/hairy/slobbery"-didn't you research the breed and/or mix of breeds before you got the dog?





The only reasons I've heard that I understood:


"My newborn is allergic"-you couldn't have known that in advance, and the babies health is priority


"There's been a tragedy such as a medical emergency or natural disaster that has depleted our finances and we can no longer afford to care for the animal appropriately"-bad things can happen to anyone, again you could not have prepared for this or worked around it|||Becuase they are irresponsible.