This made me sooooo angry.

So a couple nights ago my fiance and I decided to go out to dinner downtown. As we were sitting there eating we noticed these two people and a dog. The dog was pretty skinny. They were sitting there holding signs saying "Need money to feed our dog.", "If you think our dog is cute, give us money so we can feed it", and "what the f*** its just a buck". They were smoking cigarette after cigarette and I was getting so angry as I watched them. I really wanted to go say something but I was eating and decided to approach them after I ate. SO while we are waiting for our food to come, we watch as the take out all this food (clearly take-out) and start to mow down. Meanwhile the dog is just laying there like 10 feet away with no water or anything. SO we rush to finish eating but they get up and leave. Then as we are waiting to pay, we see this kid walk by with this tiny, scrawny, barely 6 week old kitten on his head. I wanted to run out of the restaurant and smack the everloving daylights out of him. What is wrong with people? Do people have no respect for their animals?

You have to remember, not everyone loves animals. It's a sad fact.

I guess where you and i would see animals as worthy of being taken care of, which is correct. Nothing makes us better than anything else on the planet, nothing gives us the right to decide what to do with animals.

If you think about it, the idea of keeping animals as pets was wrong to begin with. We as humans took them out of their natural habitat just so we could have them at home with us. We abused our own powers.

But since that was thousands of years ago in concerns to cats and dogs.. i guess it's not so bad now. I've a kitten, wouldn't dream of treating it badly, not ever.

Some people just don't see animals as anything worth being given proper treatment, as i guess you saw and know.

Nothing you can do to be honest. Just take in fact that humans do abuse their own power of intelligence. A very SAD fact, we have been doing it for a very long time now. Like i said, making animals OUR PETS was an abuse of our power way back when we did that. But of course, many people do not see that.

Originally Posted by Tonic Water

You have to remember, not everyone loves animals. It's a sad fact.

I guess where you and i would see animals as worthy of being taken care of, which is correct. Nothing makes us better than anything else on the planet, nothing gives us the right to decide what to do with animals.

If you think about it, the idea of keeping animals as pets was wrong to begin with. We as humans took them out of their natural habitat just so we could have them at home with us. We abused our own powers.

But since that was thousands of years ago in concerns to cats and dogs.. i guess it's not so bad now. I've a kitten, wouldn't dream of treating it badly, not ever.

Some people just don't see animals as anything worth being given proper treatment, as i guess you saw and know.

Nothing you can do to be honest. Just take in fact that humans do abuse their own power of intelligence. A very SAD fact, we have been doing it for a very long time now. Like i said, making animals OUR PETS was an abuse of our power way back when we did that. But of course, many people do not see that.

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I am one that doesn't agree with "an abuse of our power". I just don't see the point in dwelling on how they came around to being part of our lives. Regardless of how animals came to become pets, it doesn't make it right for people to not do right by their animals. The bottom line is if someone is going to take an animal into their home, then he/she needs to take on the responsibility and care for it properly or find it a home where someone else will.

Originally Posted by TNKittyMom

I am one that doesn't agree with "an abuse of our power". I just don't see the point in dwelling on how they came around to being part of our lives. Regardless of how animals came to become pets, it doesn't make it right for people to not do right by their animals. The bottom line is if someone is going to take an animal into their home, then he/she needs to take on the responsibility and care for it properly or find it a home where someone else will.

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exactly! dogs and cats have been domesticated for YEARS so I really don't get what you're trying to say, Tonic. maybe we took horses out of their natural habitat but NOT dogs and cats. no matter what, every animal deserves a chance and a home. not everyone should own pets, but they do just to have them and be "cool". I don't have pets just to have pets or to be "cool" I LOVE my pets and I don't have kids and they ARE my kids and a very big part of my family.

Originally Posted by TNKittyMom

I am one that doesn't agree with "an abuse of our power". I just don't see the point in dwelling on how they came around to being part of our lives. Regardless of how animals came to become pets, it doesn't make it right for people to not do right by their animals. The bottom line is if someone is going to take an animal into their home, then he/she needs to take on the responsibility and care for it properly or find it a home where someone else will.

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I agree. How having animals as pets may have come about thousands of years ago still doesn't give anyone the right to abuse any animal - be it domestic or wild. If a person doesn't love animals and truly want to be responsible for them then they should NOT have them.

if it were me, i would find out where there beggin at, and call the aspca or animal control on them. that way the dog can be removed from their care, what little they gave

Originally Posted by TNKittyMom
I am one that doesn't agree with "an abuse of our power". I just don't see the point in dwelling on how they came around to being part of our lives. Regardless of how animals came to become pets, it doesn't make it right for people to not do right by their animals. The bottom line is if someone is going to take an animal into their home, then he/she needs to take on the responsibility and care for it properly or find it a home where someone else will.

I agree. How having animals as pets may have come about thousands of years ago still doesn't give anyone the right to abuse any animal - be it domestic or wild. If a person doesn't love animals and truly want to be responsible for them then they should NOT have them.

Originally Posted by Miagi's_Mommy

exactly! dogs and cats have been domesticated for YEARS so I really don't get what you're trying to say, Tonic.

maybe we took horses out of their natural habitat but NOT dogs and cats. no matter what, every animal deserves a chance and a home. not everyone should own pets, but they do just to have them and be "cool". I don't have pets just to have pets or to be "cool" I LOVE my pets and I don't have kids and they ARE my kids and a very big part of my family.

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Regardless of when dogs and cats became domesticated, or horses or cows or whatever species, fact is they are now and should be cared for by their people. It is a disgrace not to. My Midnight was (I'd bet) abandoned and admittedly, for a long time I fed her and realized there was more to it than just providing food. So I began transitioning her indoors and now I don't think she wants to go outside.

Last year I got Tal, my now 1 y/o Lab. I had always wanted a Labrador and I take him with me everywhere I can.

I have both him and Midnight because they are companions and most definitely part of my family. I spend alot of time with them...playing together and sometimes just being together.

I think my granny used to say it best in talking about people who don't care for their kids, pets whatever...if they are not going to care for them they shouldn't have them in the first place.

Back in May the Memphis paper did a story on Pit Bulls, who IMHO have a very bad rap because of their owners. Given the right owner they can be just as sweet and good of a pet as any breed. Well, in this story there was a little 9 month old female who had been used as bait for dogfighting. They had to put her down and the only love she ever felt was by the worker just before. To top it all off no one cared enough for her to even give her a name. Well, I did. If she were mine I would have named her Peanut. She was a nice brown color with a black snout. I bet she would have made someone a really good pet. The article also talked about some guys who have them because of some macho thing. If it takes a mean dog to make you feel manly, then you are lacking enough confidence. That is an awfully heavy burden for your pet to bear.

I just wanted to add that most homeless people do take great care of their animals...Many of these people will feed their animals before themselves.

These people were just a bad and VISIBLE example of how animals are regarded as utility devices or "things".

I probably would have ordered a plain piece of meat (burger usually) and gotten some water and taken it out to the dog. I usually do this instead of giving them money...Most people are really appreciative when you do this..I know of a dog nearby that subsists pretty good on a meal of donated dog food and plain McD's burgers!

Originally Posted by Tonic Water

Just take in fact that humans do abuse their own power of intelligence.

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Sometimes it feels like humans are going backward in the intelligence department. Some of them really do seem like they are getting stupider rather than more intelligent.

My 2 cents.

I guess I would have taken the kitten from the child and just smacked the people with the poor dog for being such wits

Originally Posted by Loveysmummy

I just wanted to add that most homeless people do take great care of their animals...Many of these people will feed their animals before themselves.

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It is true. Too bad the world is what it is sometimes, though.
A homeless man and his dog both on a bicycle stopped in front of my house to ask directions. While I was talking to him my husband came out and offered them some food. The poor man rode away as fast as he could. He was afraid of us. We felt so bad.

These people were not homeless. We have since seen them outside their house pigging out on chips and such. Their dog chained up near them. And when I called that guy with the kitten a kid, I meant he is in his 20's. People should know better by now. But I do agree that homeless people take far better care of their pets than themselves.

Here in downtown Portland, when you see a street person with a dog, the dog is usually well cared for. There is a street youth program here called Outside In that encourages the bond between dog and owner. Wonderful program They even have a training program through a doggie day care.

Last fall there was a young woman who was on the street with her puppy and asked for a dollar to buy him some food. I had no money at that time, but carried around a rawhide chew with me for weeks until I saw her again. I bought her a cup of cocoa from Starbucks and gave the chew to her dog. She cried because it was the nicest thing anyone had done. I really have a soft spot for the homeless girls.

I guess what I was trying to say was making me angry was that clearly they had some money as they were sitting there mowing down on take-out smoking cigarette after cigarette while their dog laid there with no water or food. They were using their dog as a ploy to get money for god knows what. And driving by we saw them at their house where also the person with the kitten was. Those people must really have no conscience to put their animals through such things. It really is not right.

Originally Posted by Ashlie

I guess what I was trying to say was making me angry was that clearly they had some money as they were sitting there mowing down on take-out smoking cigarette after cigarette while their dog laid there with no water or food. They were using their dog as a ploy to get money for god knows what. And driving by we saw them at their house where also the person with the kitten was. Those people must really have no conscience to put their animals through such things. It really is not right.

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I'm sorry, I meant to address this, too! This is what happens when I'm at work Only get half thoughts.

It is atrocious that they would choose to treat the poor dog and kitten that way. People just have to care. Until they do, we cannot force them. I do wish having a heart was mandatory for anyone who has animal companions. Sending out vibes to both animals

If you know where they live and are really concerned for the animal(s), I would phone the local SPCA to come out and check things out.