Fucking Stupid Pet Owners

[badstar]

Today on the light rail, I overheard a phone conversation that had me very seriously considering following the idiot home to get her address and call a dog rescue or something.

Her end of the conversation basically went like this:

"So, yeah I really love Great Danes and I've always wanted one so my parents got me a purebred Great Dane puppy for my birthday, she has pedigree papers and everything! But you know, I'm still living in that tiny studio in Mt Vernon, so I barely have any space, and she keeps running around and knocking over my stuff and all. I guess I'm going to have to get less fragile stuff. And she keeps chasing the cat! But I love her, she's so cute and I want another one! I want to get a boy so they can grow up together and I can breed them. I want to get another one soon so I can breed them as soon as they're old enough! But you know, I'm not planning to move out of the apartment for a few years yet so I guess it's going to be a little cramped."

The whole monologue was punctuated by periodic empty-headed giggles.

Oh my fucking gods. First of all, her parents are complete asstards for even getting her a Great Fucking Dane when she lives in a studio to begin with.

Second of all, she's a moron for keeping one in such a tiny place.

Third of all...wants to get a SECOND one? With no plans to move to a larger place???

AND FUCKING BREED THEM?

Absofuckinglutely epic, this one.

Like I said, tempted to go and follow her home, get her address and report her to someone because that's just fucking cruel to do that to an animal.

I just don't understand how most people around here with larger dogs can keep them. I know that some places are much larger than others, and some people have the ability to make sure that their dogs get the exercise that they need but I know that a lot of places around here aren't that big, and a lot of people don't have that ability

(I know there are city-dwelling dog owners reading here on my friends list...I'm not talking about you, I don't know any of you to be practicing animal cruelty.)

And don't get me started on animal breeders. And many of the people who are all about purebreds Gah, I knew a girl in Texas whose parents had a dalmatian. Sweetest dog I've ever met, I swear. Her parents rescued the dog from a breeder who was going to put her to sleep.

Know why they were going to put her down?

She had blue eyes. Kid you not. No, she didn't have any medical problems or dangerous behavior issues. Just didn't have brown eyes, so she was "undesirable". For the life of me, I couldn't figure out what was so undesirable about the blue eyes on a dalmatian- they were so pretty!

But you know, people will put down a perfectly healthy dog for their eye color, but they'll breed all kinds of problems and mutations into them and charge thousands of dollars for them. Like the breathing problems that Persian cats often have because of the preferred smashed-in nose, or the fact that English Bulldogs often have to be delivered by c-section because they're bred to have enormous heads and the puppies heads are often too big to be born naturally for danger of causing serious injury to both the mother and the puppies. This is just one reason that I generally loathe "toy" and "teacup" dogs- poodles are not meant to be that small! (I don't hold it against the dogs, they didn't ask to be bred that way, though I can't stand them for other reasons...but it's generally the owners and breeders that get to me.)

Repeat after me people: Animals. Are. Not. Accessories. They are ANIMALS

This brings me to people who own those ridiculous little dogs, and think that just because their dog is little, they can bring it everywhere. Hello, stores and other public places have "no pets" rules for reasons...or have you never heard of health codes? Oh, wait, they don't apply to you because you spent hundreds or thousands of dollars for a nervous, shivering little accessory. And of course, no one ever says anything to these people.

I can, offhand, trace this stupid trend back to the fucking chihuahua in Legally Blonde. (God, I fucking hated that movie, and sadly, I've seen it multiple times because my sister thought it a great thing for Samantha to watch when she was three years old- because of the fucking chihuahua. And somehow, Samantha latched on.)

So...do I blame Reese Witherspoon? Is it her fault? Or did someone else do it prominently before that movie? (I know, Paris Hilton does it, but she came later, if memory serves correctly.)

Okay, I'm done. Time to let my blood pressure normalize.

Comments

[newdance.livejournal.com]

Wow, I can't fucking stand those people, either.

As much as I want a pit bull puppy right now (they can seriously be some of the sweetest dogs, ever), my room-mate and I have a combined three cats, so space is an issue (not that I worry about a puppy and cats, if space weren't an issue) and I just don't have the money. Which probably sucks from some dog who could really use a good home right about now, cos I have all the time and intelligence to do it right.

And really — puppies, no matter what the breed, shouldn't be that destructive. If a puppy is running around and destroying things, it's cos she's bored and wants somebody to actually play with her or take her for a walk. $5 says she doesn't even have a crate — or if she does, it's not one that will be big enough for an adult-sized Dane to get into and circle around in comfortably.

[heartofmoon.livejournal.com]

Ugh. People are gross.

A woman came in to the studio the other day to register her twin daughters for dance classes. She had a purse dog. And she spent the whole time talking about how one of her twins is better than the other one (which I knew she did when I met them--the "better" one is super outgoing, and the other one, who is actually better, is too nervous to dance most of the time because she doesn't think she's as good). I wanted to slap her.

[caelesti.livejournal.com]

Some people treat their kids like accessories too, like living dolls.
If people carry their dogs in purses- wouldn't the dog end up peeing/pooping in it? or at least getting hair all over their makeup or whatever? is the idea inspired by the Legally Blonde movie?

[dance-shiva.livejournal.com]

Sing it, sistah.

[ursus-of-unrv.livejournal.com]

I hate people who think it's all about them and don't realize the animal they are dicking around is a living, breathing creature that feels pain.

Recently they did a study that suggested dogs are as smart as 2 year olds. So I think mistreating a dog should be viewed along the lines of child cruelty.

[needa.livejournal.com]

A person should not have a Great Dane in a small apartment. The only dogs that should be kept in a small apartment are the small dogs like Yorkies, Poms, etc. And even then they need to be walked at least twice a day. I personally do not feel a medium-sized dog should spend all its life indoors, and would not feel right about having a medium-sized or large dog without at least a small yard for them to run around in.

Actually.... The important criterion is the energy level of the dog. It turns out that most large breeds (including especially the Great Danes) have lower energy levels, and take better to small apartment living than, say, Border Collies or Jack Russells.

Far more important than the size of the living space is, as you say, the exercise you can give a dog. If you give it daily walks totaling at least an hour, almost any dog can be an angel in almost any amount of space. This is the top recommendation of just about any reputable dog behaviorist: walk your dog! (Something tells me giggle-headed Missy Dane described above won't be doing that, though....)

All that aside, breeding dogs is usually an incredibly bad idea. Considering the number of dogs that have to be put down every year, why deliberately add more?

[falnfenix]

i seem to remember there's a license required to keep more than two animals of the same species in a home in city limits. if this girl ends up on the light rail and babbles more about it, i'd seriously consider getting her contact info (while pretending to be interested in puppies).

[caelesti.livejournal.com]

That's terrible- what a selfish fool, the poor dog.
You totally should report her for animal cruelty, though check if what she's doing technically violates that. I think animal cruelty laws should be stricter myself.

American Kennel Club & such have these arbitrary standards for what traits particular breeds are supposed to have. But I'm still shocked they would kill a dog for having the "wrong" eye color. Of the 2 dogs we've had, 1 was from a shelter, the other was a retired breeding dog. She had eyes of 2 different colors, and I'm sure the AKC would disapprove of that too. She was very sweet, an Australian shepherd, and it was really sad but we had to put her down last summer due to cancer.