PSA for those with pets

bananers · October 2011

The post earlier about giving up pets really made me sad. As I mentioned in my response, I work in animal rescue and unfortunately, over and over again, I see pets given up because of a new baby. This makes me so mad, as there are about 5 million dogs and cats put to sleep in the U.S. alone each year, simply because there are not enough homes.

The problem is, too many people these days see pets as disposable - dump them off at a local shelter or with a family friend when they are no longer convenient. Instead, people should view pets as a commitment. If you choose to take a pet into your home, it should be for the life of that animal, for better or for worse. If everyone did that (plus spayed/neutered) we wouldn't have such an epidemic of animal overpopulation, and shelters would either not exist, or only exist for true extenuating circumstances.

Anyway, the point of this wasn't just to rant, but I actually saw a Facebook post just now about a free resource from the American Humane Association called "Pet Meets Baby." You can download a free PDF of the book on their website at https://www.americanhumane.org/interaction/programs/humane-education/pet-meets-baby.html. I also know a lot of animal shelters and humane societies offer classes about introducing your new baby to the pets in your home, to help set people up for success.

I would encourage everyone with pets to download the e-book and/or look into preparing your pets for a baby well ahead of time. We still have 8 months to go - now is the time to address any behavioral issues that could pose a problem, and to make any changes to the pets' lifestyles (keeping them out what will be the baby's room, learning to wait at the door, etc.) BEFORE the added stress of a newborn becomes an issue.

Okay... off my soapbox for now.

gtdubois · October 2011

Thanks for posting! We have a 2 year old English Bulldog and are a bit nervous about how he is going to adjust with the new baby since he currently is our ONLY baby and is super spoiled! I worry because not having him be a part of our family is NOT an option (and I have a hard time understanding how people can just easily give away their pet!) so he is going to have to learn to share our attention!

doxgirl · October 2011

Aegis2005 · October 2011

Thanks for posting. We adopted an 8 year old dog earlier this year. She's been shuffled around a lot, and we've been thinking about how we'll need to get her adjusted.

allisonmarie22 · October 2011

Thank you so much for posting this!!

I can not stomach the thought of getting rid of my pets, especially when I think of all the joy and comfort they brought me in the days before becoming a parent. They have always loved me unconditionally, and I plan to do them the same service.

naybird · October 2011

Yes

Thanks for the link!! And I totally agree with you!! My dogs are a huge part of my family and DH and I are already thinking of ways to get the dogs use to a baby in the house!!

BBhopes15 · October 2011

Great post. And I am a bit shocked! I couldn't imagine life without our Molly. She's is a spunky Maltese mix. She is part of our family and though I worry about how she will react to our baby I know we will figure it out.

I will be reading the info above, thanks for posting.

EMOmamma · October 2011

Just wanted to say that my hospital offered a workshop as well. Your dr or hospital may have more local suggestions also.

katmacwv · October 2011

We had our 2 cats and 1 dog before I ever got pregnant with DD. My biggest pet related baby fear was that DD would be allergic to the animals, and in that case we would, of course, have to do what was best for DD. Thankfully, she isn't allergic and she loves the animals as much as we do. One cat was a stray that "adopted us", and that cat is better to DD than to anyone else. DD has recently decided to rename that cat Lovins and I think it is adorable! Pets are part of the family and need to be treated that way.

kate212 · October 2011

Great post Yes

Couldn't agree with you more!

chouli77 · October 2011

Thanks for posting! We have cats. My DH has always done the litter box. And I keep the house clean. I get my one cat with "personal hygeine issues" groomed every couple of weeks. Cleanliness is not an issue. And I am not worried at all about them being in the house with the baby.

Krissyq21 · October 2011

Thank you for this post!! I feel the same way! My two boys love our (BIG) dogs and I know baby #3 will too!

ag0527 · October 2011

i didn't see the post you are referring to, but thank you for posting this and thank you for being an animal advocate

GoldenJasper · October 2011

Thank you for posting that! We work with a lot of surrenders so I'm thrilled to pass along the booklet to friends and colleagues (and of course go through it ourselves!)

lynnyrd80 · October 2011

I totally agree with you! Thanks for posting this!

dogsfornow · October 2011

Very well said. We have two rescue digs and I am a very active volunteer at the organization that we used. It is so sad to see people feel such a lack of commitment towards their four legged family members.

lolabunny919 · October 2011

I am an animal lover. My DH has a friend/coworker that he has known since high school. His friend had an 8 year old small designer dog. His wife, a SAHM, is about to have baby number 2. He decided that having a toddler, a baby, and a dog was going to be too much. He "tried" to find the dog a new home, but couldn't. So I'm talking to his wife one day and she tells me that they talked to the vet about putting the dog down bc they couldn't find it a home. I was LIVID!!! I told her that if she did that I would never speak to them again bc I cannot be friends with someone that would be able to make that kind of choice. Mind you, this dog is one of the best behaved dogs I've ever met- great with kids, friendly, no potty issues. I was frantic to find this dog a home. Luckily my MIL decided to take the dog bc my SIL just moved into her own house and brought her dogs with her. This was 3 weeks ago and I still get so p*ssed just thinking about their stupidity.

sheilatakesabow · October 2011

Thanks for posting! I've already been looking around for classes, but haven't found any to date. Looking forward to reading the e-book!

liesam · October 2011

Thank you so much for posting this!! I couldn't imagine life without my schnoodle Dixie! Yes, she's crazy, but she's family, and we will make whatever adjustments we need to to make sure both she and LO are happy and comfortable in our home.

MissButters · October 2011

thank you for your post! I couldn't agree with you more. I could never imagine giving up either pet unless there was a real safety issue, and even then I'd work with a trainer to try to have it resolved. I had signed up for a Baby-Ready Pets class at a local shelter, but they canceled since we were the only people who signed up. So, thanks for posting the link to the info that can be downloaded!! I want to start working with our dog now to get her ready and avoid any potential problems.

Cupcake36 · October 2011

Thank you for that! I actually had a friend at work say to me on Friday, "Once the babies come, you'll need to get rid of your dogs". Ummm. . . no, why the heck would I do that? I was just so flabbergasted that she thought that was a given. My pups are my babies, and unless there are some extreme circumstances (allergies or dogs attacking - which I don't see at all), the dogs are staying put. She kept trying to claim that babies get diseases from dogs because it happened to her neighbors when she was growing up. . . in Mexico! My dogs are vaccinated yearly, and groomed on a regular basis. And don't you think my dad, a doctor, would have mentioned something about this to me by now???

jen812 · October 2011

I must have missed this post too. Thanks for posting this link. I'm glad to read there are lots of animal lovers here & nobody made any stupid excuses to this post.

alison518 · October 2011

What a great post!!!!!! Yes

I am a HUGE animal love, and I couldnt immagine giving up my pet because a baby came along. My pets are my children and a part of our family.

I think is disgusting how people can so easily dispose of pets. It really breaks my heart.

TheFutureMrs.O · October 2011

This is totally awesome! I love my dog so much and consider her our "first born" even though she is furry, has a flat nose, big bulgy eyes, and ears that stick up! She's a Boston Terrier!!

Thanks for all you do for rescue!! I am a strong rescue advocate as well!!

Don't shop! Adopt!

AnariaR · November 2011

I just dare someone to tell me I'll have to give up my animals. I have 4 cats and a dog and we were just talking about getting another puppy to help keep the dog company.

Why would you have to give up your animals when you have your baby? I see lots families with kids and animals.

I've never even considered the baby coming an issue with the animals. I just figured the cats wouldn't be allowed in the baby room for a while until they got used to the smells of the baby. I'm only worried about my one cat that goes outside deciding to mark the baby's bed.

SummerMama12 · November 2011

Thank you for posting this! Anyone who would give up their pets is not a true, loving pet owner to begin with. It's just not an option.

Babybear70 · November 2011

Thank you for posting this. There is a lot of really good information in it and I will certainly be printing it off and putting some of what is mentioned in there in place. Our girl as you can see from the picture is a big girl...92 lbs worth of big! And thankfully she loves kids and we have been working with her since day one on not being possessive, lots and lots of training, and thankfully my direct focused interaction with her is exactly what it should be as it is stated in this pamphlet so that is good. We did something right!!

nhatf820 · November 2011

My doberman is my kid's best friend. He's been loving and protective of him since the day we brought him home. I had my brother bring home a couple blankets from the hospital that smelled like Hudson and it was never an issue. He's been great with him. Now the dog himself is a PITA and I would love TP rehome him sometimes, but hes so good to us and the baby that i would never be able to being myself to do so. He is definitely part of the family.

arbys10 · November 2011

I'm in agreement with everyone else. I could never imagine giving up our Yorkie, Bentley!!! He is as much a part of our family as this baby will be. We chose to bring him into our house just like we chose to have a baby. We know there will be an adjustment period and I'm really looking forward to reading this article so it can give some guidance on this time. I have also had people tell me that once we have kids,we'll get rid of him and it makes me want to cry. He has added a lot of happiness to our family and I'm excited about our baby and him becoming friends. It makes me sad to think people can just get rid of their pets so easily. If the animal is a serious threat to the baby, I can understand the need to remove it from the home, but if if the pet just becomes annoying, that's not an excuse. I'm sure your child is going to be annoying many times during their life and you aren't going to send them out the door when that happens. If someone loves their pet, they won't just pass it off when a new baby comes.

PSA for those with pets

Re: PSA for those with pets

Choose Another Board

Search Boards