The other option is to see a shrink and get the dog classified as an “emotional support animal” that cannot be denied to a tenant. I wouldn’t do this unless it was absolutely necessary, but it’s an option.
Further, I contend that if I had zero friends or family that could accept my dog temporarily then my dog is the only friend I’ve got. Why would I give up my only friend?
Almost ten years ago I was nearly faced with this predicament. I would have easily taken my place on a park bench with her by my side.
This +1. My dog is my emotional support system, even though I don’t have a piece of paper legally designating him so. I had to seriously consider this recently, although my current situation has improved. But if I had to, I would have endured living in my car with my dog.
Do you think they’d still feel reassured while being carted off to foster care? Or while they saw their parents being led away in handcuffs after being arrested for child endangerment?
Dogs are different, though. For a start, they’re pack animals, and to them their family is their pack. It’s more traumatic for them to leave that pack than it is for other pets. Also, it’s magnitudes easier to find a place to rent that will accept a cat than a dog, and also easier to find someone willing to look after your cat temporarily.
Otoh, you could theoretically live in a car with your dog. Not so much with a cat.
Doesn’t mean either of them are more important than the human members of your family, of course.
I’ve been in this situation. Actually, it was a situation in which we got evicted from our apartment and we ended up being homeless for several days. (And then in a hotel for several months, most of it paid for out of the good grace of our church).
And yes, we had to give the cats up. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do, but at least at the shelter there was a chance someone might take them in. If all five of our cats had stayed with us, there was simply no way we were all gonna make it.
I’m a responsible adult, so I didn’t adopt a rescue dog until I bought a house and had two backups willing to watch a dog indefinitely should there be an issue.
But if some truly bizarre set of circumstances led to me having to choose between my dog and real shelter the dog goes back to the rescue immediately. People who think dogs are people are confusing.
Actually, such circumstances would probably involve serious upheaval. There would most likely be food shortages. I would eat the dog.
I don’t think dogs (or cats) are people. I also don’t think that they are any more disposable than people. (But I’m one of those crazy folk that never wanted kids, and is more comfortable around most animals than I am around most humans)
First off, I don’t have kids. Secondly, I’ve been homeless before. It’s not that bad, and having a dog around makes it much better because fewer people try to fuck with you. Also, I cannot imagine a situation where I would have ZERO helpful friends, acquaintances or co-workers, unless I am already a transient person. And I could always sneak the dog in unless I had a hyper vigilant landlord. I could also come up with a convincing service animal story and some kind of official-looking paperwork (Friends have done this to take animals on long-distance buses and hotel rooms and stuff). So basically, this is an extremely unlikely scenario.
But if it really came down to it, yeah, I’d probably sleep under the bridge with the dog. If I was in this situation, I would probably be very lonely and/or borderline homeless already.
Sailboatdoesn’t have kids. So his opinion of what’s reassuring for children is worth as much as anyone else who’s never been responsible for one.
Concur 1000%. My wife had 2 cats who she’d had since college, and who she absolutely adored. When our second daughter was diagnosed with an allergy to cats, she didn’t even consider any option but getting rid of the cats. True, she gave them to her mother but not a shelter, but humans come first. Always.
The OP didn’t mention a kid as a part of the hypothetical, so everyone scoffing at the idea of exposing their kid to homelessness, and feeling all smug about, are changing the question, IMHO. Parents of the year, one and all, pick up your trophy as you exit the stage.
No kids, but I do have a dog (and a wife, not that it matters in this hypothetical) and Lucy and I would be snuggling up together somewhere outside. She loves camping!
If I was made homeless I’d seriously consider myself better off with my dog: for (mutual) comfort, companionship, warmth and protection. If it came to a situation where I was forced to beg I’m pretty sure I’d get more handouts too, from those that are more likely to feel sympathy for the dog than me.
Oh, and I’m answering the question as posed in the OP where no kids are mentioned.
My parents had their cat for 2 years before I was born. When I was diagnosed with cat allergies as a little kid, giving up the cat wasn’t even an option. He was there first and he actually saved my life when I was a baby (He woke my mom up and led her to my crib where I wasn’t breathing properly. There is a history of SIDS in my family.) They simply kept him out of my bedroom and vaccumed, dusted, wiped the baseboards every week and told me to keep my face out of his fur. He passed when I was 11 and was the best cat ever. IMHO, parents who immediately give up their family pet(s) - depending on the severity of the allergy, of course - are lazy.
He didn’t mention anything about excluding kids from the hypothetical either, and used the word “you” several times, which IMHO means apply this hypothetical to your current life, not change around things that aren’t even mentioned in the OP.
And he also came back in post #3 and specifically added a kid.
But thanks for the trophy. It’ll look nice on the mantel.
Who’s feeling smug? Who’s adding anything to the question that the original poster hismelf hadn’t put in there, abeit not in the first post?
I can’t believe that I am allowing myself to feel like I have to defend my desire to keep a roof over my kids’ heads even if it means giving up a pet. * I will defend to the death my right to not choose homelessness! Your accusations that it’s just smug self-righteousness that impels me to say that I don’t want my kids to sleep on a park bench will not force me to change my mind.*
The bar is set pretty fucking low if all it takes earn a sarcastic Parent of the Year award is not choosing Fido over shelter for my kids. But such are the crazy-ass ways of the SDMB. Shun technology. Laugh at the inferior plebes who actually choose to participate in social media. Choose animals over humans, even if those humans are your children and you have a way to keep them safe that involves not choosing the animal.