How Many Dogs is Too Many to Own??

Punkygirl0101 · Mar 25, 2010

Fresno,CA.

And I never said it was right, as long as they are taken care of. You can meet people here (many people!) who would rather see a cat in a home, where it will live a nice life, then be PTS at our shelter. I personally am one of those people. Some of my cats are even ferals ive taken in, because they would have been taken to the SPCA, where they would (For sure) been euthanized. Our SPCA is very small, they only hold animals for 4 days, and if they are not kittens or very,very unique in personality or appearance, they get euthanized.

As for dogs here, we have lots of pit bulls/PB mixes, and LOTS and LOTS of Chihuahua mixes! People are uneducated pet owners, and they let their dogs wander and breed. I wish we had a mobile spay and neuter clinic here, cause this is a poor city, and an ever expanding city.

smkie · Mar 25, 2010

Punkygirl0101 said:

Nolu-The least of my worries is trying to please you, and trying to prove myself to you lol. What a huge waste of my time.

Of course I didn't get rid of my animals. The point is, if I were to move today, I would take my two cats and 4 dogs (And small animals.). Those are who are considered as MY pets. Doesn't matter how many lives here with me. My pets are the ones I pay for vet care (My mom pays for the others). Those are the ones I take for walks and to the dog park, and that I train.

Again, ive been on this forum for years, with NO problems about people trying to pry into my life. I'm NOT the one who started the whole numbers debate, it was Nolu in my PICTURE thread. I am simply defending myself, as anyone who is passionate about something does. I never had any debate about before, never brought it up myself.

free fed. And there is only a dog out of those that is overweight, and its because of her thyroid.

My house doesn't smell any different then people with a couple cats and dogs. They don't crap all over the house. Yeah there is fur, but so what? It gets cleaned up often, but ive known people with 1-2 dogs such as Huskys and there is a lot more furr then at my house.

i think the problem is you confusing me with someone else. I RARELY went on chat, and when I did I never spoke about my pets. I went on chat maybe 2 to 3 times. So you must be thinking of someone else. And I hardly ever even saw you in chat when I went in there (at 1-2 in the morning.).

Why don't you all take your personal disagreements to pms or better yet ignore each other. It isnt' like your going to debate the topic until one or the other of you come to an agreement.

Punkygirl0101 · Mar 25, 2010

Tell me what story changed? I never change any "stories" of mine.

Punkygirl0101 · Mar 25, 2010

I can post them here, I didn't know one person's personal opinions were banned from certain threads lol.

AND

There is NO topic to agree or disagree with! If other people would stay out of MY business. Just because people think animals can't be taken care of properly in a large dog household, doesn't mean they have MET me, or my pets. Or seen me, or been to my house. So there is NO topic to discuss is pretty much what I am trying to get at. I don't get why others can't just drop the subject of MY LIFE.

Dekka · Mar 25, 2010

read back over your responses in this thread.. things change..

And anything that gets posted in public (esp by that person) becomes a topic and 'fair' game. I knew that when I post publicly things that I do. Someone could come along and have a fit about it. But IME if you try to rationally discuss it with people they 'get it' even if they don't agree.

And its not about you. Its about quality of life of pets kept in small zoos

AllieMackie · Mar 25, 2010

Punkygirl0101 said:

You DO know that SPCA is not the only course of action, right?

A friend of mine lives near Fresno and works closely with many of their cat & dog rescues. Shall I give you a list?

Pet Medical Center and Spa
Welcome to Animal Compassion Team of California
Clovis Pet Adoption Center
Valley Animal Center
http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/CA664.html
http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/CA457.html
PAWS Precious Animals Worth Saving
Kings County Animal Services

There are options.

AGonzalez · Mar 25, 2010

That's per household, not per person...so...effectively you have the maximum number of dogs allowed just by yourself. While I'm not saying that makes you a bad owner, it does however, break your city ordinances.

There's one for the list to go with the original posting:

You have too many animals if it's breaking local county or city ordinances. It is irresponsible because those animals can be taken away and euthanized because it is against the law.

AllieMackie · Mar 25, 2010

Wait wait wait... wait.

You have two ferrets... in California.

Laurelin · Mar 25, 2010

Honestly I've been trying to sit out of this and I usually do, but I have to say I think the way people are singling out punky is ridiculous. Its gone beyond disagreeing to hounding her about every little thing. I know that won't make me popular but that's how I feel.

Would I ever want that many dogs? Heck no! But they're not my dogs. A lot of people here and other places do things with their dogs I don't agree with. And what about breeders? Especially in working types of dogs there are breeders that have as many or more dogs than punky. Is this wrong too? I have seen some of these same people defending breeders who have this many dogs and kennel them or have their dogs live in dog yards on chains. Ridiculous.

So she doesn't keep her dogs the same way you would. Okay, whatever. I have seen no indication that they're abused in any of her pictures.

My family is also over the city limit for dogs. Oops, I guess? No one cares here either as long as they're not nuisances. I don't see what that matters to random internet people.

Once again, unpopular probably but dang this thread is ticking me off, lol!

AGonzalez · Mar 25, 2010

To me it's more about the fact that it gives the city and animal control the right to mess with you, take your animals away, and fine the crap out of you.

Not singling her out, but saying that nobody cares yet with the strict rules that California has on dogs especially...well you have to know something isn't right there. I do think it's too many animals if you risk being fined or having your animals taken away. How is that responsible? I'm not saying they aren't getting good care or aren't taken care of, but if your neighbor complains then what happens? They don't have to be a nuissance for someone to notice there's more dogs than are allowed by LAW and call someone out on it. Then what do you do?

AllieMackie · Mar 25, 2010

I'm done. Anything else will be through PMs that will probably be ignored.

cricketsmygirl · Mar 25, 2010

AllieMackie said:

My thoughts exactly. Ferrets are illegal in CA, I have numerous family in CA and I was born there, I know plenty on the laws and regulations. Going to be heading out to Atascadero this summer. Honestly, I have 3 dogs and some days I feel a bit overwhelmed, I couldn't imagine living with 11 dogs, 17 cats, 7 rats, 2 ferrets and whatever other animals you have. No one is trying to pick on you but it just seems like it would be hard for a few people to handle so many pets. Money or no money especially with the economy in the condition it is.

I do hope that your animals are as well taken care of as you say they are and I hope they continue to be so however I would still advise downsizing a bit.

Laurelin · Mar 25, 2010

Personally I am outside the technical city limits (or were, now that I moved out they're back under the city limits). We were still breaking our HOA for years as were most other people on our block. We said we'd downsize animals once they all did. Wasn't going to happen. I lived somewhere else that we had neighbors that nitpicked you if you didn't cut your grass in a few days. I have no idea if punky maybe lives outside the city limits or whatnot. I don't really have a reason to NOT believe what she says about her neighborhood being lax. They are here too.

AGonzalez · Mar 25, 2010

Where I am at they are relaxed as well, but I do have a neighbor with about 7 dogs or so (I can never get a decent count) and all it would take is a couple of complaints and they'd have a problem (not small dogs either, basset hounds and some white fluffy ones and a big mutt, etc) - not that I have any intentions on it, as they don't bother me other than their stupid hound howling all the time...but that's not the point. All it takes is for them to **** off one of the 5 of us that lives around them and then they have a problem. Fair or not, it is the law and people can suffer consequences for it.

noludoru · Mar 25, 2010

Punkygirl0101 said:

My issue with you is your unwarranted drama llama attacks on me (and my friends) and your crazy defensiveness when no one is attacking you over how many animals you have - you freak out that people think you are mistreating/abusing your animals and hoarding when they weren't talking about you or to you. It looks seriously suspicious. Add that to your boasting about how any of us on this forum can talk to anyone who knows you in person or the rescues you have worked with and verify that you are The Most Awesome Pet Owner In History, and then your subsequent refusal to provide the info of the rescues you supposedly foster for when asked to back that sh*t up, and you are looking really, really bad right now.

Laurelin · Mar 25, 2010

ACampbell0304 said:

I'm not finding anything but do we KNOW for sure she's within city limits? We're technically in Edmond but we live right outside city and county limits. There's nothing that the law could do about our dogs. Our HOA of course has a limit but that is an entirely different matter than the law.

AGonzalez · Mar 25, 2010

Surrounding areas have the same ordinance (and some are stricter) so unless she's strictly in the county...it's a 4 dog limit.

I'm just asking, never said that makes her a bad owner, but if she lives IN Fresno yeah it's breaking the law and might have some sh*tty consequences.

Oh and my county has limits as well without kennel licensing as do most, and seeing that California is leading the way with dog regulations, I'm more than willing to bet they do as well. But hey, here's the link:
County of Fresno - Public Health - Rabies and Animal Control Program

Seems pretty strict to me, and the licensing charge is pretty high for an unspeutered critter.

Laurelin · Mar 25, 2010

Also our HOA's limit just reads that you can only have '3 animals that use the bathroom outside' so I guess we could have just trained a few of the paps to use wee wee pads and been okay.

Up until my mom died no one knew we had more than one papillon. No one can tell them apart. When mom died people were over so often they noticed and even our super nosy neighbor hasn't said a thing.

mrose_s · Mar 25, 2010

Just in the last week and half going from 4 dogs to 3 I can feel the difference. I miss Sophie terribly and I'm not glad she's gone, I would have loved more years with her, but eventhough she was the lowest maintenance dog, things are easier. As a family, 4 dogs was a lot for us. Its hard with Harry because of his issues with the other dogs/people etc etc but the thing that makes it most difficult is that one dog is mine, one is my sisters and one is my mothers, we are constantly arguing about feeding, training etc and all have different ways we do things so its clashes.

Buster sheds the most so I sweep every 2 days, Mac is the only dog allowed on the lounge so its my sisters job to vacuum the lounge, we tryto divide chores up like that.

So now we have 3 dogs, 1 cat, 2 fish and 2 horses. Hopefully we'll be getting a couple of calves in the next few months and some chooks would be nice.
I'd love anotehr few cats but Elliot is so easy and the time it takes Buster to be safe with a new cat makes it difficult.

ACooper · Mar 25, 2010

Punkygirl0101 said:

I don't agree with this statement.

Is a clean, nice smelling house important to me? YES.......it's not just about appearance, it also has to do with a healthy environment. I am not a clean freak, not by a long shot, but I refuse to live in a dirty or smelly environment.

In my case, that means I can only keep up with the work of TWO dogs. If I WERE a clean freak, I might be able to keep up with the work of more, OR, I would make the dogs live outdoors. Them living outdoors, especially in the cold winters we have is unacceptable to me, so I limit myself to two.

Would I like to have more? Save more? You betcha..........I see dogs on craig's, petfinder, bulletin boards, HERE at chaz, EVERYWHERE that could use my help and sometimes it breaks my heart that I just can't. But I have to be RESPONSIBLE.......responsible to my children and husband, responsible to the pets I already have, and responsible to MYSELF in what I can handle and still maintain the quality of life for all involved.

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