I was reading through the archives the other day when I came across a bitch about pets and small apartments. Someone commented it’s such a shame that people with small apartments have pets. Think about this for a moment and if you agree that it’s wrong or inhumane, go pound sand you twit. For the sake of argument let’s consider dogs only.
First of all, do dogs exercise themselves? Are they known to run around the house because they feel frisky? Yes of course some dogs do run around the house, but it’s not to exercise themselves I’ll bet. And yes large backyards do help a dog move about and stretch their legs, but do they really run around that much by themselves enough to stay fit? Now I’m pretty sure most dog owners don’t allow their dogs to run around in the house for any number of reasons. I have been a dog owner for many years and I have seldom seen my dogs run around inside or outside my apartments and/or house. I even grew up on a farm with border collies and the only time they ran was when we made them. Furthermore, have you ever visited someone who lives in a large house and has a beloved pet pooch that’s ridiculously over-weight? Perhaps the reason is the mutt isn’t allowed to run around the house OR maybe it’s because the shit head owner is too lazy to walk or feed the dog a healthy diet!
So for all you who hate the idea of a pet living in a small apartment, get fucked. The health of any pet is solely the responsibility of the owner and not the size of owners residence.
This article appears in Apr 10-16, 2008.
I was in Toronto a few months ago and while walking on the street, I noticed that a woman ahead of me was walking some kind of animal. At first I thought it was a small pig, because it was so round, and I was excited, because I’d heard of people having pet pigs before but had never seen one being walked. But as I got up further I realized it was just an extremely fat little dog. It was literally a sphere with legs. And I felt kind of sad. When I see fat dogs being walked, then obviously they’re getting some kind of exercise, but I imagine the owners are probably feeding them all the carb/sugar-laden table scraps that they themselves eat. Which is sad because although they probably love their pets, they’re also shortening the pets’ lifespans by “spoiling” them in this way…
There are some breeds that are meant for appartment dwelling and some that are not. Before you become a dog owner, you must educate yourself on the type of dog that would best fit your lifestyle and living arrangements. Feeding dogs table scraps, junk food and what not is inhumane, and borders on animal cruelty and abuse in my opinion. Stuff what you want in your body that’s your choice, but when you have the sole care of an animal who can’t feed themselves, make sure you do right by them. I have a dog and he can beg all he wants but he’s not to get chips, candy and any table scraps from me. I constantly have to tell people who come to my house for dinner or whatever not to feed the dog. And they look at me like I’m the one being cruel and insensitive; like my dog is the victim of malnurishment when he only gets the best that the vet can offer (not regular food from the stores, OH NO!! but the special stuff that costs $$$ a can cause he has a heart condition…). Why the fuck is that!!??? People should respect the fact that dogs need peoper care!!! When I see a someone who’s walking a dog that’s 20 + pounds over what they should be, I want to punch their lights out! Fucking Idiots!!! Get a clue people!!. Just because you’re a pig sitting in front of the TV eating everything that’s in the fridge, it doesn’t mean your dog has to have the same.
I still think that it is not right to have dog in an apartment, regardless the size of the apartment. I would almost take it one step further and say the city is no place for a dog, for that matter it is no place for me. I am not a puppy-hater : )
Ernie, it sounds like your dog is one lucky pooch 🙂