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I am NOT condoning what the guy did, but I do really get tired of hearing about scenarios where it's a couple and one of them has a pet the other one doesn't like and the pet-owning parter expects the other to tolerate everything about it, even if the pet gets into their food, chews their phone, makes a lot of irritating noise, or the animal-loving partner seems to dote on the pet more than their boyfriend/girlfriend. On some level I think that's wrong and is disrespectful.
Now understand--as a general rule, I tend to say that people should pair with their "own kind" in this way; that is, someone who finds a certain pet annoying should NEVER enter into a relationship with one who is a pet lover, and the reverse is also applicable. The pet lover will either get tired of hearing their mate "whine" (to them) about how annoying the pet is, but also the one who isn't crazy about pets will get tired of the other doting on the pet more than them and always expecting them to tolerate aggravating things the pet does. Simply enough, someone who loves (say) a cat ought to be able to have a cat, but at the same time if someone doesn't like a cat around because they get sick of it eating their food on the table and feel like a prisoner in their own house, then a pet lover asking them tolerate that is being disrespectful on some level I think.
If you get married--your mate comes first, NOT your pet. Period. Better than that, DON'T get married until the two of you agree on how it's going to be once you are.
Me: I can tolerate dogs or cats, but it goes like this--the dog is NEVER to be in the house and it can't be a constant barker, the cat cannot be jumping on the kitchen table getting into my food everytime I neglect to put something away. I'm not going to accept the premise that if a cat gets into my food or a dog chews my phone, it was my fault for being "neglectful" in leaving those items laying around. Any of that sort of thing causes me to feel like a prisoner in my own house, and feel like the pet has more rights here than I do. Thankfully my wife, for the most part anyway, shows respect for how I feel, and we recently got 2 bunnies because this way she has something furry and cute she can pet but it's not in the house destroying anything, and they don't make a lot of noise or require a lot of social interaction.
In like manner, I am thinking of a married couple I know, they have a dog but not a cat. Periodically the daughter, around age 5, would plead with the wife/mother that she wanted a cat, but they didn't, and the reason--because the husband/father was allergic, and it would be disrespectful to ask him to tolerate the presence of a cat that caused him that much distress. The wife/mother was very much on-board with this, as opposed to her and the daughter "ganging up" on the husband/father and nagging him and saying what a jerk he was for not letting them have a cat, even though it would cause his allergies to break out.
THAT is how you do it. And that, to me, is more of a solution to problems like this than harsher jail sentences. Stop expecting people to tolerate pets they can't tolerate, and if you can't live without your dog or cat, don't hook up with a woman or man who feels differently than you. There are plenty enough of both types to go around for everybody. Quit entering into situations that aren't a good match.
How ever much you try,you can never excuse CRUELTY!
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