# Animal Lover Or Easy Solution - You Decide

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animal-lover-or-easy-solution-you-decide/503165>\
**Category:** The BBQ Pit\
**Created:** [July 15, 2009, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animal-lover-or-easy-solution-you-decide/503165 "2009-07-15T23:10:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animal-lover-or-easy-solution-you-decide/503165/61 "2009-07-16T21:33:52Z")

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> [@Clovernook](#):
>
> Again, where is the distortion?

As someone who does not like dogs even a tiny, tiny bit and who thinks that people who anthropomorphize dogs & cats–referrng to them as their children, etc–are deluding themselves, I would say that the distortion is in every goddamn sentence of your OP. Nothing but malice and the desire to stir shit can have prompted you to open this thread, and you are an asshole.

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**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animal-lover-or-easy-solution-you-decide/503165/62 "2009-07-16T21:38:02Z")

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> [@Clovernook](#):
>
> a. An animal lover who is to be commended for doing everything he could to save this dog; or  
> b. Someone who is looking for an easy way out for a problem dog and conveniently manages to lose him in the woods a second time, quite possibly for good.

Well, your selections are obviously skewed. But let me add my own:

c. A Fucking Asshole that I Would Divorce.

I pick c.

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**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animal-lover-or-easy-solution-you-decide/503165/63 "2009-07-16T21:55:49Z")

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I posted my answer based on the OP. I’ve now poked around, read a little bit, I don’t really have time to digest 6 pages of detail.

I’d like to ask one question though: why did Foie allow the dog to seizure for 9 hours straight? Was he not aware that this could kill the dog? Do/did they not have emergency meds, such as liquid valium that can be administered rectally? Did he do ANYTHING for Riley on that day?

Because if the answer is no, he did nothing, and gee, it never occurred to him…I’m kinda sticking with C…if not for maliciousness, then egregious cluelessness.

And the second time around putting him outside, no fence?

If someone can link me to a post that gives a good excuse, I’ll gladly read it. Because I really hate to think about dogs being in the hands of people who would screw up so badly, so frequently.

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**Author:** ![supergoose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@supergoose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/supergoose)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animal-lover-or-easy-solution-you-decide/503165/64 "2009-07-16T22:20:53Z")

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> [@Stoid](#):
>
> I posted my answer based on the OP. I’ve now poked around, read a little bit, I don’t really have time to digest 6 pages of detail.
> 
> I’d like to ask one question though: why did Foie allow the dog to seizure for 9 hours straight? Was he not aware that this could kill the dog? Do/did they not have emergency meds, such as liquid valium that can be administered rectally? Did he do ANYTHING for Riley on that day?
> 
> Because if the answer is no, he did nothing, and gee, it never occurred to him…I’m kinda sticking with C…if not for maliciousness, then egregious cluelessness.
> 
> And the second time around putting him outside, no fence?
> 
> If someone can link me to a post that gives a good excuse, I’ll gladly read it. Because I really hate to think about dogs being in the hands of people who would screw up so badly, so frequently.

He didn’t take the dog to the vet because his wife had the van with the kid car seats and he only had a small car (kids were home with him, I assume, or the car seats wouldn’t be an issue). He called the vet but no one could come pick the dog up. Not saying he couldn’t have tried harder - asking a neighbor or friend or someone for help or to stay with the kids while he ran the dog to the vet in the little car, or having his wife drive home from work (ten minutes away, he said) on her lunch break (which he later said she was able to do to check in on the dog after it came home from the vet following the prolonged seizure attack) to swap vehicles - just relaying the information he gave.

I can’t remember the specifics on the putting-the-dog-outside episode, aside from he wanted to clean off the dog (it was incontinent) with the hose and let the dog out first before getting the hose and other bath items. His wife had earlier seen the dog and judged it to be improved and he took her word for it, is what I recall.

Not really in the mood to reread the whole thread, sorry. I did just read it, though, and I think my recall is accurate.

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**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animal-lover-or-easy-solution-you-decide/503165/65 "2009-07-16T23:14:08Z")

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Maybe the dog has a history of playing practical jokes.

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**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\
**Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animal-lover-or-easy-solution-you-decide/503165/66 "2009-07-17T17:54:46Z")

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> [@Alan\_Smithee](#):
>
> Is there anything the vet could have done? My guess is the best case scenario is that the vet would have given the dog a tranq to let him sleep through the seizures.

Your guess is incorrect. The vet would have given valium to stop the current seizure, and phenobarbital to stop future ones. Not to make him sleep through them, but to keep them from happening, so that they wouldn’t also have to contend with the damage done by the dog having a temp of 107 for Og knows how long.

People keep talking about how FGIE deserves hugs and appreciation for doing all this treatment after the fact, because lots of people would have just put the dog down. I say horseshit. It would have been better for the dog to be put down than for them to let him seize for hours straight until his body temp was so high he could have brain and internal organ damage, then let him get out and wander around in the woods/creek until he either starves or dies from seizure-related stuff. I’m not on FGIE’s side, I’m not on the OP’s side–I’m on the critter’s side, _always_. And sometimes being on their side means advocating euthanasia, especially when an owner doesn’t have the financial, emotional, or intellectual resources to deal with the pet’s problem.

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**Author:** ![curlcoat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea5d25/32.png) [@curlcoat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curlcoat)\
**Post date:** [July 18, 2009, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animal-lover-or-easy-solution-you-decide/503165/67 "2009-07-18T03:00:28Z")

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> [@CrazyCatLady](#):
>
> As **curlcoat** said (and lord knows I never thought I’d be agreeing with _him_ on anything)

“Her” - and gee, thanks.

> [@](#):
>
> People keep talking about how FGIE deserves hugs and appreciation for doing all this treatment after the fact, because lots of people would have just put the dog down.

I have a feeling that the dog all this treatment after the fact because the wife came home and so could see what was going on.

> [@](#):
>
> **black rabbit** F) Jeez, that sucks, but it’s a motherfucking DOG.

So it’s ok to let a dog suffer for hours for no real reason?

> [@](#):
>
> **Alan Smithee** Again, who benefits? I’m all for taking down assholes, especially when they call attention to themselves, but reall, this is just kicking someone when they’re down.

But _is_ he down? I read the original thread and it just sounded like a string of excuses and poor little me posts. In which he admitted to not only torturing an animal, he did it in front of his kids. For hours.

> [@](#):
>
> Oh for fuck’s sake, no one budgets for a dog to start having seizures at a year old. Even if you’re right, you’re still being a bitch. And you aren’t right. FGIE went above and beyond what most people would do to care for a dog in that condition. Go find someone else to piss on.

Seizure medication is not all that expensive - if he didn’t “budget for it”, he really shouldn’t have a dog to begin with - and he had two! As for FGIE going above and beyond, God I hope not. The dog was inconvenient for a couple-three days and that’s above and beyond?

> [@](#):
>
> **Ca3799** I’m not willing to pile on to FGIE. It seems he is/was doing the best he could. But, I did notice he was talking about ‘the next dog’. I don’t think he should get one. It is not in their budget if this episode was such a financial hardship.

Agreed. He still has (Macy, is it?) - what is he going to do if something moderately expensive happens to that dog too? Shoot, what is he going to do if something expensive happens to his kids?

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**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\
**Post date:** [July 18, 2009, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animal-lover-or-easy-solution-you-decide/503165/68 "2009-07-18T03:23:44Z")

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> [@Alan\_Smithee](#):
>
> Really? That’s your standard for pet ownership? You really think the dogs waiting to be euthanized in shelters (or on the street because the shelters are full) are better off than if they went home with a dedicated, loving human who happens not to have a couple of grand to spare? Try running this by the local Humane Society or Animal Wefare League and see what they think of this idea. :rolleyes:

:eek:

Yes, I do think these dogs would be better off euthanized than going home with FGIE. That thread was disgusting. And speaking as a _person_ who has seizures, there is absolutely no excuse for that kind of treatment. None whatsoever.

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**Author:** ![BottledBlondJeanie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/0ea827/32.png) [@BottledBlondJeanie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BottledBlondJeanie)\
**Post date:** [July 18, 2009, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animal-lover-or-easy-solution-you-decide/503165/69 "2009-07-18T15:30:22Z")

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I thought the wife worked nearby? What about having her switch cars during a break or lunch during that 9 hour seizure?

And am I clear that he looked two whole days for the dog and now has decided to let it starve or die of additional seizures wherever it is holed up.

I read both. I don’t think he should get another dog.

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**Author:** ![K9Lover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/13edae/32.png) [@K9Lover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K9Lover)\
**Post date:** [July 19, 2009, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animal-lover-or-easy-solution-you-decide/503165/70 "2009-07-19T05:39:56Z")

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Hello FoieGrasIsEvil

Are you recklessly irresponsible or just plain dumb?:

> [@](#):
>
> “I was sitting on the back porch watching him and my fault, I let him get about 100’ away from me. He was right at the edge of our yard, so I was calling him to get him to come back in my direction to take him back inside.”

Were your legs broken? I would break them for you for being such a moronic imbecile. Oh no, I see that you were able to move, only in the wrong direction:

> [@](#):
>
> “He instead walked right onto the invisible fence border and started getting zapped. Instead of retreating from the border like he’s supposed to do, he just stood there, taking it. So I immediately ran up my hill into the garage to turn off the electric fence, and by the time I got back down to where he was he’d wandered into the woods and fallen down the hill and became trapped in the creekbed between two rocks.”

Were you too scared of getting zapped yourself? For crying out loud, if you saw a blind man walking out into a busy road would you run into a shop to call the cops so they could stop the traffic … after he was struck by an 18-wheeler?

You and others seem to keep referring to the whole scenario as a “run of bad luck” as though you had lost your house key and had to have another one cut. Kind of a flippant attitude really, given the fact that you recklessly exposed your dog to what would, in human terms, be considered torture.

What the hell do you mean when you say:

> [@](#):
>
> “This is twice now that he’s allowed himself the luxury of being electrocuted, and in his state, didn’t give a shit.”

That’s like leaving a wheelchair-bound relative on a level crossing while you go for a piss behind a tree. For God’s sake, the poor animal either couldn’t get itself away from being juiced, or after the first zap was so disorientated that it didn’t know what the hell was happening to it.

> [@](#):
>
> “My son’s parakeet Mr Fantastic flew away not long ago, too. Maybe Riley is hanging out with him.”

Oh yeah! What a ridiculous statement, unless of course your family had hacked off the bird’s primary feathers and it had to walk around on the ground.

You make two statements that enrage me beyond any of your supposed grief:

> [@](#):
>
> “The really, REALLY sad thing is that should we choose to euthanize him right now, we couldn’t. We have to wait until payday in order to afford the needle. That makes me so sad.”

AND :

> [@](#):
>
> “I am not going to do any more. We are already in family discussions for a shelter dog replacement should Riley not come home.”

You can’t afford to ease the suffering of a dog in great distress, but you are willing to just run out and get another one immediately you can afford to have the current one put to sleep? You don’t buy a car if you can’t afford to get it serviced. Would you buy a wheelchair for your grandmother if she had a stroke? !!!

What are you going to do with this dog if he miraculously does return home? I get the impression that you regard dogs (or maybe all domesticated animals) as objects that are easily replaceable.

You previously made a similar comment that exemplifies your idea of pet dogs being replaceable commodities when they break, and I feel more than a deep disgust:

> [@](#):
>
> “… I have made the decision that if there isn’t some dramatic improvement … he is going to be taking that last ride out to the vet. We cannot live our lives centered around caring for an incontinent, mostly invalid dog … (OK, so that’s a sensible and humane thought) … but on the bright side, the animal control people told me that they have a lot of Boxers in the pound that need adoption if it comes to that.”

That statement really takes some beating!!! ☹

No, actually your best statement is this one:

> [@](#):
>
> “I am normally not sensitive about death or anything at all, but this particular issue has me tied in knots … the nine-hour seizure resulting in his current condition could have been prevented possibly if I had forced myself to put the dog in the trunk of my tiny Scion, put the boys into the backseat without their carseats which were in the van … so I allowed this poor dog to have continuous seizures for almost nine hours before my wife got home from work that day and could take him to the animal hospital. Anyway, this sucks.”

Not only are you generally insensitive to death, but also to suffering. What does the size of the car have to do with things? The dog wasn’t a Great Dane or something. What about a taxi and some thick towels to catch the shit? Didn’t you want to disturb your sons watching “Sponge Bob” on TV, right? No neighbors to watch the boys? You could have just stuck collars on them so they didn’t leave the yard!! The word “possibly” is misused in some mitigating manner. If you HAD done the logical and sensible thing, any vet would have given the dog anti-spasmodics and/or put the dog humanely to sleep.

Shirley Ujest made a comment in page 2 of this sequel:

> [@](#):
>
> “When I die, I want to come back as your dog”

to which you responded:

> [@](#):
>
> “I think I may have to consider changing my career to nursing.”

Oh yeah!! Holy Christ, I hope not!!

> [@](#):
>
> “I just helped him get out of a pinch where he had wedged his head in between the downstairs couch and the wall… I have no idea how long he’d been like that until I pulled him out of it.”

So how long would your patients have to wait for their meds or a drip? You seemed to be more concerned that the dog had shit all over the place and you had to clean it up.

Hmmm. My opinion is that the parakeet did the right thing in getting out of there when it had the chance.

I think you made some glaring errors when you said:

> [@](#):
>
> “Take MY brain, take MY life, don’t inflict random problems on a helpless dog, you bastard of a God!”.

All evidence here suggests that your brain is redundant anyway, so that would be no loss, but it was YOU who needlessly allowed your dog to suffer on several occasions, so prehaps it would be best if HE did.

Regards  
A Dog Lover

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**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\
**Post date:** [July 19, 2009, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animal-lover-or-easy-solution-you-decide/503165/71 "2009-07-19T12:45:32Z")

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Wow, my first pitting, and over my lost dog. Yay.

Those that have been supportive, thanks.

Riley is still gone. Yeah, I made some mistakes, but I love that dog.

Clarification:

The seizures were a known issue. He’d been to the vet three times before. He was already on medication (phenobarb) for them. Once he was on his meds, the seizures were fewer and farther between until the episode last week.

My sons are three and seven years old, they wouldn’t have been able to help me move the dog, and the dog would NOT have fit into my car! Anyone ever seen a Scion Xa? There is no trunk to speak of.

My wife could not leave work that day, she was in meetings, ate lunch at work, the President of her company was at her warehouse, etc.

I don’t know any of my neighbors, except the guy that lives up the street, Jeff, and he was at work that day. I tried calling him.

There was nobody to call. I have no friends in this area, and frankly, no friends in general because I have a job and a family and very little spare time.

I called two different vets, neither of whom could or would come get the dog.

I called animal control, they couldn’t come get the dog. Not in their job description.

There are no van taxis in my area. A regular taxi I didn’t think would take us.

The only collar we have for the dog is the fence collar, so I couldn’t have leashed him. We’ve never walked the dog, he’s too terrified of the border, and my yard is big enough that it was never really an issue.

We are extremely tight on money right now due to a variety of unexpected expenses which I am not going to get into.

Yes, I shouldn’t have let the dog out the second time. In retrospect, I should have put him out on my deck and then gone and retrieved the hose and washed him off out there. And yes, I took my wife at her word that he seemed so miraculously recovered enough to play outside supervised.

He was literally covered in feces and I didn’t want anymore of it than necessary all over the carpet where my kids and I tread barefooted. It’s gross, and we have cleaned up so much of it already.

Anyway, yeah, I’d vote d too. I made some mistakes, but those of you piling on and accusing me of “conveniently wanting to get rid of the dog” are fucking d-bags of the highest order.

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**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\
**Post date:** [July 19, 2009, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animal-lover-or-easy-solution-you-decide/503165/72 "2009-07-19T18:46:36Z")

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Most vets I know of will not refuse to put down a seizing animal like that because his owners are short on money. You should have called them first and asked the options.

I don’t think you wanted to get rid of the dog – I just think you were too selfish and lazy to give a shit. Please, do NOT get another dog.

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**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\
**Post date:** [July 19, 2009, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animal-lover-or-easy-solution-you-decide/503165/73 "2009-07-19T19:05:31Z")

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> [@Guinastasia](#):
>
> Most vets I know of will not refuse to put down a seizing animal like that because his owners are short on money. You should have called them first and asked the options.
> 
> I don’t think you wanted to get rid of the dog – I just think you were too selfish and lazy to give a shit. Please, do NOT get another dog.

I DID!! I discussed my options with _two_ vets, trying to get someone to come and give the dog a seizure-ending drug, pick him up and take him to the animal hospital…anything!! When _we_ did finally get Riley to OUR vet, she wanted to give him a chance instead of just putting him down, so we went along with her opinion to give Riley a chance. I had just assumed (again, based on our vet’s prior opinion) that if he ever went into a grand mal seizure like that again, that he wouldn’t make it. She then changed her mind after we got Riley to the animal hospital, apparently.

What our vet probably should have done was given us two of those valium rectal syringes when she gave us the first bottle of phenobarb just in case. I could have administered it to him rapidly and this and my other thread would have never been created.

Oh, and eat shit Guin. Selfish and lazy, huh? Okay.

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**Author:** ![Myrrajh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/87869e/32.png) [@Myrrajh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myrrajh)\
**Post date:** [July 19, 2009, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animal-lover-or-easy-solution-you-decide/503165/74 "2009-07-19T20:14:39Z")

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I vote D as well. The OP is clearly an ass.

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**Author:** ![supergoose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@supergoose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/supergoose)\
**Post date:** [July 19, 2009, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animal-lover-or-easy-solution-you-decide/503165/75 "2009-07-19T20:37:26Z")

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Thank you for explaining yourself in such detail. I retract my statement that you could have done more, and for what it’s worth, I think you’re a great dog owner who did the best you could and have been going above and beyond for Riley in many ways since you got him home from the vet. The fact that you made miscalculations just makes you human, and the fact that you admit it counts for a lot. I really hope there’s a miraculous happy homecoming at the end of this story. Good luck.

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**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\
**Post date:** [July 19, 2009, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animal-lover-or-easy-solution-you-decide/503165/76 "2009-07-19T23:13:37Z")

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> [@supergoose](#):
>
> Thank you for explaining yourself in such detail. I retract my statement that you could have done more, and for what it’s worth, I think you’re a great dog owner who did the best you could and have been going above and beyond for Riley in many ways since you got him home from the vet. The fact that you made miscalculations just makes you human, and the fact that you admit it counts for a lot. I really hope there’s a miraculous happy homecoming at the end of this story. Good luck.

Thanks. I’m really surprised by some of the self-righteousness here. If only there was such a thing as a pet ambulance.

I admit to some lapses in judgement, but Jesus Christ on a pogo stick, nobody else has ever made a mistake while under duress?

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**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\
**Post date:** [July 20, 2009, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animal-lover-or-easy-solution-you-decide/503165/77 "2009-07-20T01:25:40Z")

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> [@Stoid](#):
>
> I posted my answer based on the OP. I’ve now poked around, read a little bit, I don’t really have time to digest 6 pages of detail.
> 
> I’d like to ask one question though: why did Foie allow the dog to seizure for 9 hours straight? Was he not aware that this could kill the dog? Do/did they not have emergency meds, such as liquid valium that can be administered rectally? Did he do ANYTHING for Riley on that day?
> 
> Because if the answer is no, he did nothing, and gee, it never occurred to him…I’m kinda sticking with C…if not for maliciousness, then egregious cluelessness.
> 
> And the second time around putting him outside, no fence?
> 
> If someone can link me to a post that gives a good excuse, I’ll gladly read it. Because I really hate to think about dogs being in the hands of people who would screw up so badly, so frequently.

We didn’t have the rectal valium syringes until afterward. Had I had one on hand at the time (which I think the vet should have given us initially), I would have administered it pronto.

On the phone with the vet during his seizures, they advised that I try to get him to ingest more phenobarb pills. I tried. He wasn’t in the mood for oral pills.

I know that I made mistakes. But for some of you to label, categorize or otherwise judge me based on the circumstances I dealt with, I will lift a hearty middle finger to you.

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**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\
**Post date:** [July 20, 2009, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animal-lover-or-easy-solution-you-decide/503165/78 "2009-07-20T02:15:19Z")

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> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#):
>
> Thanks. I’m really surprised by some of the self-righteousness here.

I think some of it comes from not understanding where you actually live - hence all of the holier-than-thou suggestions of van taxis, getting random neighbors to watch the kids, etc. If I recall correctly, you’re somewhere between Harrison and Indianapolis, right?

Then again, much of it may also come from people like my ex-wife, who felt perfectly justified in insisting that I drop three grand on a bowel resection for a freaking _cat_. I suggest you publicly ignore those people and privately make woo-woo gestures in the direction of their posts.

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**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\
**Post date:** [July 20, 2009, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animal-lover-or-easy-solution-you-decide/503165/79 "2009-07-20T02:49:01Z")

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> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#):
>
> Thanks. I’m really surprised by some of the self-righteousness here. If only there was such a thing as a pet ambulance.
> 
> I admit to some lapses in judgement, but Jesus Christ on a pogo stick, nobody else has ever made a mistake while under duress?

Yes, I have. But I also have seizures. And while yes, I’m a human being, and this is a dog we’re talking about, the idea of a living being suffering for NINE HOURS of seizing, and then being let outside to wander on his own…

Sorry, you’re a dick.

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**Author:** ![starwarsfreek42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e56c9b/32.png) [@starwarsfreek42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/starwarsfreek42)\
**Post date:** [July 20, 2009, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animal-lover-or-easy-solution-you-decide/503165/80 "2009-07-20T03:33:25Z")

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I take full responsibility for the care of my dogs. They aren’t (weren’t, we’re separated) my husband’s dogs, they are \*my \*dogs. HOWEVER. If I had ever come home to find that he had allowed my dog, or in fact a random stray dog that I don’t know, to suffer in such a way for 9 hours, I’d have divorced his ass. Dude, if I–a 5ft, 120lb girl can wrestle an unhappy 90 lb mastiff mix into the car to go get shots by myself, you can get a seizure dog into the car with the help of a 7 year old. There is no excuse for not owning a leash and regular collar. There is no excuse for letting a dog–\*any \*dog, much less a confuzzled, medicated dog–out untethered into an unfenced area without supervision. I don’t know how you didn’t see a pitting coming a mile away.

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