Am I just heartless?

[yoko]

For me I usually don't donate more for the ones with sob stories.

BUT yes they are spending a lot of money on special case dogs. But groups that do one special case every year or two I don't see that big of a problem. yes they are spending a lot of money but the ones I usually see end up with excess once it hits FB or Reddit. That excess is used on other dogs. So if spending a ton of money to save a dog with a sad story saves that dog and others with the extra money flow it generated I don't see too much of an issue.

That being said most of the ones I see are other states. I only recall seeing maybe two in the last 5 or 6 years that were actually in my area.

[sassafras]

Three YEARS.

[smkie]

There is a cat that survived with a jar on her head for 20 days I saw on facebook today. She is hanging by a thread, the point they make is she has made it this long, and is fighting and deserves the chance. I sure hope they are right, and I pray she makes a full recovery. I have taken quite a few hurt creatures wild and domestic to the vet with the hope of helping them and hoped that I was not prolonging their agony. There were a couple I wish the Vet would have just told me it was too late. ONe was a box turtle I found with maggots, and another was a duckling wiht a broken clavical. A puppy that was seperated from the Mama at 3 days, along with 2 other litermates. They made it, this puppy got staph in his leg and he died at the vet's in a great deal of pain. I never wanted to do that to him, but there was no way to know, the other two recovered and tho it took them a long time to catch up they grew into fine yellow labs. So my heart goes out to the little cat, and I will hope that their efforts will turn out right. If I had money, I would send it to her. All I have is artwork to give so that won't do her any good but it will help others.

[sillysally]

Idk, it's a very individual thing and if a rescue wants to specialize in medical hard cases, as long as the dog's quality of life is considered and they are doing things responsibly and ethically, I have no issue with it.

You could play the "how many dogs could you save" game all day. There are far more people who want to adopt labs or small dogs than pit bulls, so should rescues not ever deal with pit bulls because they could move 3 or 4 labs or yorkies for every pit bull? With Jacks health issues I could have probably funded a couple of dozen dogs from intake to adoption with the amount of money I've spent on his vet bills. Should I have therefore euthed him when we found out about his elbow dysplasia because there were other perfectly sound dogs out there that needed homes?

There is a woman on another dog board who prefers to adopt dogs with health issues. She has the time, money, and knowledge to deal with various health issues so she gives a second chance, a good home, and a good life to dogs who would likely otherwise be euthed for taking up too many resources. I don't see a problem with that.

IMHO, the beauty of private rescues is that those involved in said rescues can specialize in various breeds, types, ages, medical issues if they choose to, and people can choose to help by donation/fund raising or not.

[Paige]

I firmly believe you cannot save the wrong life. Whoever you save is a great deed.

[JessLough]

Agreed with sillysally and Paige.

If a rescue wants to focus on hard cases, and you don't agree with it, well, nobody is forcing you to donate to them. Some people will, others won't. Those that do donate, it doesn't mean that money is being taken away from another dog in need, I mean, who's to say those people would donate elsewhere if that certain rescue wasn't around?

[Paige]

Yeah. While I think it's amazing people can save a large number of dogs it's just as amazing to save the life of one. I haven't saved a 100 dogs but I have given one a very nice life. Bandit has had a few HUGE vet bills. I could've donated and saved lots of dogs who weren't sick and just have put him to sleep. But I chose to save his life instead. Which I know is different but still.


I don't think it makes anyone heartless though to want to donate to people who aren't selling a sop story. All dogs deserve the help and put your money where ever you want to. I am like that too.

[ihartgonzo]

I think it's very, very, very different to spend your own money on your own dog... rather than a rescue spending thousands of donated dollars to one VERY special needs dog. I don't see the comparison at all in those two situations, one dog is owned, the other is homeless!

No one is saying it's not nice that some one has a bleeding heart for suffering dogs who need serious medical help, surgery and care. That is a nice thing to do. But a rescue spending all of those resources on one dog who may or may not survive, who may or may not be adoptable once they recover, is not realistic when millions of healthy adoptable dogs are dying and I don't think that's deniable. I've fostered many dogs and put fourth a lot of my own money, but I wouldn't spend the money I could use towards a dozen dogs on one dog that isn't even a guarantee. I think what bothers me is seeing rescues who always have super sick dogs who require thousands of dollars in donations, not just a few special cases here and there, but constantly? I don't think it's fair to be biased towards special needs cases, when so many healthy dogs die for no reason.

[smkie]

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...type=1&theater This is the non graphic pic, but the story is written there. Beaten with a baseball bat and then shot right down the throat.

Well I tell ya what. IF I had anything to spare I would be sending to this dog. Any dog that is tail thumping to all those that are helping her, after what has been done to her, she should get all the help she needs. If you can't see the link I apologize in advance.

[JessLough]

As long as they are honest about where the donations are going to, it's not like they're "lying" or anything. If people want to send money to help the animal, all the best to them!

We had a ferret come in once that ate a poisonous newt that should have killed him right away. This ferret is, as far as I know, alive and well to this day. Sure, he's not about to win any beauty contests (well, I'm not sure what he looks like now, 2 years after the fact) but I can promise he's no worse off than if he were dead.