Pet Hospitals: Are they obscene?

Alexander's Horse · July 15, 2003, 04:28

I was just briefly watching a program called Animal Hospital before switching it off as usual in disgust.

Don't you think its obscene the money some people spend on their pets? If your pet required complicated and expensive surgery wouldn't the more moral thing to do be to give it a needle and get another one? Isn't it cruel and wrong to keep a sick animal alive?

Give the money to a charity for humans or the environment of some worthwhile cause. Don't spend it on your pets.

When my pets have got really sick, and I've loved having them and looking after them, I've always had them put down. Am I a heartless utilitarian?

Makeo · July 15, 2003, 04:41

Am I a heartless utilitarian?

no your normal. ie not a wacko.

sick animal. bullet. buy a new one.

Alexander's Horse · July 15, 2003, 04:43

You can take the boy out of the country but you can't take the country out of the boy

Dis · July 15, 2003, 04:56

heartless

I'd spend money on my dog. I wouldn't spend a lot, because well, I'm a cheap person. I'd spend hundreds of dollars if necessary. But I wouldn't spend thousands of dollars.

Skanky Burns · July 15, 2003, 04:58

People don't like change.

Solver · July 15, 2003, 05:00

Fortunately, I don't have a pet and don't plan on having one... but I can understand what pets can become to some people. I spend money on my computer, buying stuff and upgrading... some people feel that way about their animals

.

Ishtar · July 15, 2003, 07:20

I spend money on my dog. She is my child. She's treated as a member of my family by my parents and my brother. If she is sick or injured and it's within my means to get her well/better, then I will do it.

Az · July 15, 2003, 07:24

Ishtar: that's very correct, and I think that way myself.

But I don't think that the government should subsidize such things, when there are people about to starve in that country.

Pekka · July 15, 2003, 07:31

Where I spend MY money is no ones god damn business!

Alexander's Horse · July 15, 2003, 07:35

Quote:

Originally posted by Ishtar
I spend money on my dog. She is my child.

No she's not. She's a freaking dog. She has no feeling for you comparable with the love of a child.

Az · July 15, 2003, 07:40

Actually the dog has very strong feelings towards humans, and vice versa. not as much as children, but still very strong.

CerberusIV · July 15, 2003, 07:52

Pet hospitals are simply part of the society that supports them. These medical treatments, often pioneered for people, work for animals too. People have the money and feel the need to spend it this way. If you think there is something wrong with that then you are basically saying people should not be free to spend their money on what they choose.

Alexander's Horse · July 15, 2003, 07:57

I've used vets. I've had minor surgery performed on my dog. But pet hospitals for animals which are suffering and clearly should be put to sleep, what a waste of money.

I saw a vet performing surgery on a budgie for God's sake.

Az · July 15, 2003, 08:07

yes, vets do great stuff.

DinoDoc · July 15, 2003, 09:01

If it is within your power to restore your sick pet to health, why shouldn't you do just that?

Asher · July 15, 2003, 09:06

That would be obscene, it's best to shoot the f*cker between the eyes.

DinoDoc · July 15, 2003, 09:09

Quote:

Originally posted by Asher
That would be obscene, it's best to shoot the f*cker between the eyes.

That's essentially what AH is saying, yes.

FemmeAdonis · July 15, 2003, 09:20

I would spend money on my dog. I mean if they're clearly suffering and whatever surgery is performed may or may not work, Id rather euthanize the baby just so it wouldnt suffer.

but Ive spent a couple hundred in vet bills for mine. they are worth it. they are my children. part of the family.

Dogs are living beings with brains, personality and love.

they have as much right to live and be saved and be HEALED as any other living, breathing creature on the planet.

well except bugs of course.

and rats *shudders*

reds4ever · July 15, 2003, 09:35

Quote:

Originally posted by Alexander's Horse
Am I a heartless utilitarian?

If that means 'Am I a tightfisted, heartless git', then ,yes, you are!

IMO if you take on the responsibility of a pet then it's up to you to do everything within your means to look after it when it gets ill. If you don't want the responsibilty (which is fair enough) then don't get a pet.

red_jon · July 15, 2003, 09:37

I want to see Rolf Harris preserve an animal's brain inside a Robotic version of a different animal and see what happens

Q Classic · July 15, 2003, 09:43

ah, i'm with you. i think pet hospitals are stupid, i myself think pets are too much of a hassle for too little gain (children can at least grow up and support you when you're old. pets can't do that.), and i've never been fond of most animals.

i have to say, though, that if people want to was--er, spend their discretionary money on pets, then more power to them.

none of my tax dollars should go towards helping them out, though.

FemmeAdonis · July 15, 2003, 10:06

children grow up to take care of you?

Wow..what a GREAT reason to reproduce

if you ever geta dog I hope it bites you in the BLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP

red_jon · July 15, 2003, 10:07

Who needs sweatshop labour if you have children?

Q Classic · July 15, 2003, 10:32

Quote:

children grow up to take care of you?

Wow..what a GREAT reason to reproduce

you do realize i wasn't quite serious with that, right?
if anything, i'm going to be the one taking care of the parents, being one of those damned good little asian first sons.

Quote:

if you ever geta dog I hope it bites you in the BLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP

actually, i hate dogs. well, hate is a bit strong. i don't like them too much, and although some are tolerable, i wouldn't want one. cats are ok, i probably could be convinced if my (future) spouse wanted one, or my (future) children wanted one, but i'd never get one on my own.
same goes for birds and fish, and iguanas and pretty much every other animal you could name.
hell, the only pets i can really stand are sega's seaman and tamagotchi.

FemmeAdonis · July 15, 2003, 10:50

tamagotchi..

I looove dogs.

I have 4 of em. allllll of em are spoiled ROTTEN..thats the only way they should be

Id rather have dogs than kids lol

FemmeAdonis · July 15, 2003, 10:50

dogs are less hassle...if they bother you too much, you can put em in a crate (cage).

you can't do that with kids....

or can you.... hmmmmmmm

Q Classic · July 15, 2003, 11:10

Quote:

dogs are less hassle...if they bother you too much, you can put em in a crate (cage).
you can't do that with kids....
or can you.... hmmmmmmm

i suppose. i don't like kids that much, actually. other people's kids are fine.
i just don't want to be blamed for something by my kids in therapy.

FemmeAdonis · July 15, 2003, 11:18

I don't care too much for other people's kids. you can't spank the crap out of them like half of them deserve...

Some people just should not breed.

demon children everywhere. little angelic faced hell spawn

GePap · July 15, 2003, 11:34

Very little of the money going to wards taking care of pets in pet hospitals would go towards what soem of you may consider "better" aims. Poeple would just spend it on toher stuff you guys don;t like: at least this way, the money does lower suffering, either for the animal, or the owners.

Q Classic · July 15, 2003, 11:44

oh, i know that. i still think it's a waste. people will pay for what they want.

even pet psychics.