Saturday, August 29, 2009

Here's a question...

Okay, so if you had family coming to see you and they, without asking if this was ok, brought along this stray dog that they picked up a few days earlier and refused to take this dog to the vet's office before bringing it into other homes, ppl and animals, dispite your request, what would you do? We have been looking forward to our inlaws' visit for quite some time. They had been planning to see us this summer vacation, but as is the norm with them, they kept putting it off week by week, constantly telling us, "Next week. We'll be there next week." And then the next week rolls by and then they tell us something came up and it will be the next week. This had been going on for the past month. Well, they finally are on their way up here. They will be here when we are doing school and hubby cannot take off work, but they are gonna be here now and what can you do? So today, my SIL calls me and informs me after the inlaws left out on their way here, that the inlaws have this stray dog they took along with them. The inlaws already left and did not even think to ask us if this was ok with us. I was not very thrilled about this, because we have no idea what sort of dog this is. Is it aggressive. Will it attack the cats or the other dogs? Is it housetrained? Is it loud and disruptive or destructive? And last but certainly not least, have they taken this dog to the vet to be checked out, vaccinated, had it's rabies shots, tested for worms and anything contagious like kennel cough or worse...So, I call the MIL up and I say I found out the news of them bringing this dog and I had various questions about what kind it was and what not. Turns out, it's well behaved and a small house trained miniature short haired daschund. Well that's very sweet, but what about asking us permission first? Nope, guess it didn't cross their minds to ask. Must not have been important. And my last question to her was about them taking the dog to get checked out before they took the dog across state lines. It's known that if you travel with your pet out of state, you are required to get a certificate of health and proof of rabies shot. Well, ofcourse they didn't think of this. In fact, in the past week that they have picked up this stray, they have not cared to take this dog to a vet at all to get checked out. They have brought this dog to two SIL's homes and other family member's houses and let it play with children and other animals. How thoughtful of them.... I told her the many risks they just put the children, and grownups alike and the other animals in and I requested very politely that they take this dog to the vet after they get here before letting it run around my home with my animals. I offered to make an appointment for them and everything. They REFUSED!!! I once again, implored them to please take this dog to the vets because of the risk they are putting us and our animals in. The MIL refused me again, saying that it would be just fine and la la la.... I wasn't very happy about this rudeness and disrepect. This was my home and they are my guests, but even if it's family, does that mean that they don't have to follow the respectable houseguest guidelines??? I had nothing more to say about the subject and it would have caused drama if I were to push, so I let it go. But I was/am seeing red. I was going to call a friend to watch my dog for the duration of the inlaws' visit so the stray dog they brought could not possibly infect my dog, but my husband said it would only make things worse, so I had to compromise. I am now going to have to be inconvenienced and go through about a week and a half of trouble in keeping this stray seperated. So again, what would you do if you were in my situation? As a person who is all for animal rights, I find it very disturbing that someone could refuse medical attention for a stray animal they want to keep. They have no plans on ever taking the dog in for a check up, vaccinations, spay/neauter and rabies shots and heartworm treatment and whatever else it might need. Not only will the animal likely have health problems in the future, but if it has anything contagious, other animal will get sick. All this I explained to the MIL, but to no avail. What the heck???

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