AP-Petside Poll: Are We Giving Up On Our Pets?
Our animal companions can hardly be considered fair weather friends, but are we fair weather friends to them? A new AP-Petside.com poll asked pet owners about having to part ways with their pals, and the results are sure to surprise even the most loving and devoted of owners.
According to the poll, roughly six in ten adults (57 percent) have had to give up an animal at some point in their lives, with current owners (64 percent) slightly more likely to have done so.
Included among the reasons for having to give up a pet is a family member becoming allergic to the animal. When current pet owners were forced to make a hypothetical decision between a family member who was allergic to an animal and a pet, nearly half (46 percent) stated that the choice would either be "not too difficult" or "not difficult at all", with most willing to part (apparently easily) with their pets. In situations where marriage was in the mix, eight in ten adults would choose their spouse over an animal.
The AP-Petside.com poll also revealed a variety of other reasons for casting off our critters.
A sizable percentage cited relocation as a major reason, with 14 percent of those polled saying they had moved to a residence that did not allow pets and 12 percent saying their pets had been given up because it was too difficult to move with animals in mind. Moreover, about one in ten (9 percent) cited their animal as being too dangerous as a reason for giving up their pet. As a testament to the hardships brought on by economic recession, the same figure (9 percent) said that they simply could not afford to keep their pet.
Does this mean that we're suddenly abandoning our pets? Not quite.
The main reasons for giving up an animal regarded the pet's health; 69 percent of owners said their pet was too sick to live on, and 52 percent stated their pet was too sick to be cared for at home. With this in mind, pets were given up for the ultimate well-being and comfort of the animal, a nod to the powerful love between pet and pet owner. Furthermore, out of all polled, only two percent actually cited a family member being allergic as a reason for giving up a pet in the past.
Health & Home
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Comments (22)
Most animals are more loving and trustworthy than most spouses, children or friends. Animals give you unconditional love.
Doing these hard times people are losing their homes and job. Difficult choices have to be made. If you have to choose feeding your child or feeding your pet, I pray that you have enough sense to pick your child. I love my pets but if you think for one second that doing emergency that I would save my dog over my child or wife you are crazy.
Never. If you don't like my dog, you don't like me. That's the way it goes. I can find another Human, but I can never find another Kona. A person is dispensable. My dog is not.
If my lover isnt compatable with my animals it's good-bye. Love me, love my pets!!!!
I have have taken 'the last ride' 2x in the past with my family's dogs. Today I am twice as old and 3,000 miles away from the family ....and my girl is all mine....In the past i had the family and we had a second dog to ease the loss and pain.....today it is just me and her.....i would rather live in the usa less a state or 2 than without my girl....i anticipate a painfilled experience similar to an emotional kidney stone....one without end....yeah....i am in for an experience that will no doubt affect me like none other. Howard
You have a picture of a white Poodle in a cage. Is there any way ould find out his or her name and history?
I have 3cats and 2dogs,they are my family and I love them ,being elderly I have had over the years many animals ,all of the have been loving and devoted pets,I still remember my first dog Spot when I was 4,I have had many breeds of dogs from a pekenese to a beautiful German Sheperd ,daisee who went blind when she was 5,she died when she was 12 and 4 months from a stroke,losing them is very painful,but I over come that eventually knowing I gave them the best life I could with love and affection ,and accepting it was their time to go ,and honouring their memory by adopting another beautiful dog and friend into my family.