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What would you do with your dogs if you were unable to care for them?

Discussion in 'Sheltie Chat' started by Sheltie4, Jul 16, 2014.

  1. Sheltie4

    Sheltie4 Forums Enthusiast

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    I am undergoing a total knee replacement next week - fun, fun:(

    As a single person, I don't have a spouse or partner to help me out. Fortunately, my sister is coming from out of state to stay with me for a couple of weeks, but she has limited experience with dogs.

    Also, fortunately, my friends in rescue have volunteered to take in my Shelties while I recover.

    Animals were specifically addressed in my joint education class. Not only are they a tripping hazard, but the home health team mentioned that they have been bitten by dogs while trying to care for their patients.

    Again, my dogs will be safe, but it got me to thinking . . .

    What would you do with your pets, if you were unable to care for them temporarily?
     
  2. Harbour

    Harbour Forums Regular

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    I have medical issues that occasionally land me in the hospital for days at a time. I have it worked out with a friend and her family, that they take Koffoy to their place. They have 2 dogs and Koffoy adores their sons, especially the older one. If they for some reason would happen to be out of town, I have a back up plan where another friend will take him. The kennel where I do occasionally board him at, has also said if I need to in an emergency, they would take him.

    I don't know what I would do without my friends.
     
  3. Mignarda

    Mignarda Forums Enthusiast

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    Dickens would go to live with my older daughter. In turn, if my older daughter couldn't take care of Callie the Schipperke, she'd go right to me and the wife.
     
  4. Sheltie.Mama

    Sheltie.Mama Forums Enthusiast

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    I would probably give them to a trusted friend or family member.
     
  5. Caro

    Caro Moderator

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    I'm in the same boat - I live alone, interstate from family and am having surgery in a couple of weeks. Planning care has been really hard - esp with special needs dogs, Deska needs medication 3 times a day and Tully still hasn't recovered fully from her hip replacement (atm I'm building her a ramp for the bed as I won't be able to lift her for a couple of months).

    My invalid mother and her carer will fly up to mind the dogs for the 5 days I'm in hospital, but they'll have to leave when I get out so I can sleep in my own bed. Then my cousin flies up for a week. Then am organising a pet sitter to clean the kitty litter and walk the dogs 5 days a week (no twice daily walks for a while). I'm hoping to get a vet nurse as I need someone who can recognise when they have had enough (and willing to carry one if they get too sore), my last dog walker over did it with them. I'll still have to hobble out to toilet them several times a day. Hoping friends will take them for visits on the weekends.

    Also trying to organise some home help for me. I've been cooking up and freezing meals for the dogs - hoping to get 6wks worth done by the surgery. Still haven't started on the cats' meals. And of course that leaves very little room in the deep freezer for my meals, but heck, as Deska will tell you, feeding the pets is the most important - I can always live off take away deliveries.

    Honestly, the planning involved is exhausting.
     
  6. ClantyreSheltie

    ClantyreSheltie Forums Sage

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    When my landlord had leg surgery, I took her Sheltie, and the breeder took her two Poodles back for most of a month. The Sheltie came back first, because he is well behaved, then once she could handle that, the Poodles came back.

    I had a situation a few years ago where I fell at an agility trial and sprained my ankle, knee, and broke ribs. I live on the second floor, four flights from the yard. My landlord spent several days coming up to get them to take them out.

    We should also always have plans for when we can't care for them forever. I just inherited a 13 year old dog from a friend that ended up in a nursing home. The dog was an orthopedic mess when I got her, with a dislocated hip, torn cruciate, and we X-ray her shoulder on Monday to see what is going on there. I didn't plan to have a 13 year old, otherwise "healthy" dog, but I couldn't not take her. The family didn't need to deal with her. She's an easy keeper, or will be once I figure out which legs still work!
     
  7. trini

    trini Forums Sage

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    We live close to our vet hospital where several of the techs will do home care for our dogs if we were laid up.

    And in our will we have plans for placement of all our dogs and since the majority of our dogs are special needs and have expensive health issues we have arrangements in place for an "medical inheritance" fund to go with each doggie. The fund would be set up at the adopter's vet (under the oversight of our lawyer) so that I can feel comfortable that each of our little ones will always get any vet care needed for the remainder of their lives.

    Trini
     
  8. Emmasmom

    Emmasmom Forums Sage

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    I was in that situation a few years ago when Dad was in palliative care for a few days. The breeder would more than willingly have taken the three back for however long it was I needed her to do that - she is a wonderful friend. I didn't though as I had a friend and a niece who came and let them out a few times a day and fed them. I suspect this is what would happen again.

    If I were no longer around, the dogs automatically go back to the breeder. She has just taken back a 14-year-old girl whose owner can no longer care for her due to her own health issues.
     
  9. ellenspn

    ellenspn Forums Enthusiast

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    Swamps of NE Illinois
    Right now my dogs breeder is in rehab for knee surgery. She is getting up in years and I fear that my dogs will outlive her :(
     
  10. Jess041

    Jess041 Forums Enthusiast

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    Luckily I have my parents, aunts, and many flyball friends that would be more than willing to help me out with Missy if I ever needed them to. I had a scare a few months ago where I fell in a tournament and I thought I tore something in my knee. Of course I was worrying about the worst-case-scenario. I'm on the second floor of my apartment. My mom said that I would probably have to come live with them and have a long commute to and from work until I was allowed to go up and down stairs. Luckily it was just a bone bruise that took forever to heal!

    I guess I am really lucky that I have a smaller, well behaved, dog who I think wouldn't cause problems if someone would have to take her if it had to be a few weeks. I think people would be more willing to say "yes" to a sheltie than to a huge lab or rambunctious dog!
     

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