Which is not at all, in any way, comparable to the situation I was referring to. Working together to solve a problem (getting enough money to pay for a surgery) is what that family did.
Knowing when (and how) to say goodbye when nothing can be done is another matter entirely.
I do know a several people whose parents snuck off and had pets put down while they were at school, I guess in some sort of misguided attempt to spare their kid pain. Instead it was actually much more painful since they didn’t get a chance to say goodbye or have any kind of say at all in what happened to a pet they loved.
Except for my dad being a neonatal pathologist, I agree with this entirely. And make the amount $500 per animal.
There are many animals without homes. Right now I am somewhat “off” pet ownership, but in terms of life lessons for kids, they are invaluable, so eventually I would get another cat. But, there are limits.