She abandons her dogs!

A Daily Mail journalist sparked outrage after she revealed that she abandons her dogs when they stop being “cute puppies”. Shona Sibary admitted discarding four dogs that she had paid a lot of money for because they had grown out of being puppies and proved an inconvenience.

She wrote in her column: “Over the past four years I have fallen in love with four puppies and, on each occasion, driven miles with hundreds of pounds of cash in my pocket to buy them. Then, months later, I have turned my back on them and given them away. I admit this is strange, not least because no one is more welcoming and loving to a doe-eyed little puppy than me.”

Sibary recounts the time she gave away her boisterous dog, Juno, who enjoyed scaling high garden fences. Before the husky-cross had even been pushed out the family’s door, Sibary already had her eyes on a miniature dachshund.

Of the other three dogs Sibary admits giving away, one was overly aggressive with other dogs and two others were sent away for killing sheep near her rural Devon home. Despite shirking four dogs in as many years, Sibary admits to now having a seven-month-old whippet-cross cocker spaniel. She writes: “And if she continues to leap onto the kitchen counters to steal food I’ll probably get rid of her, too.” 

Her comments sparked outrage online, as well as among animal charities, that have to pick up the pieces of irresponsible pet ownership. She has been criticised for her “unacceptable behaviour” because owning a dog is a responsibility “for which not everyone is built”.

Sadly, for every dedicated, responsible dog owner there are too many people just like Shona Sibary who are happy to give up their dog when it loses the cute factor or when it becomes too much effort. Sibary defended her article, saying the dogs have “all gone to loving homes”.

The RSPCA said that Sibary getting rid of four dogs in four years was “heartbreaking” and highlighted the danger around abandoning pets. In a statement, the animal welfare group said: “It may seem that the breeds of dog which Shona chooses are the problem but it isn’t. It is the lack of long term commitment and responsibility which for dogs can be at least twelve years.” The RSPCA added: “Giving away dogs once they become too difficult or deemed no longer cute is completely unacceptable and it is a dangerous and very irresponsible message to teach children. Dogs are not disposable commodities which can be discarded at will and this sort of behaviour and attitude has a significant impact on dog welfare and creates a huge burden for animal welfare charities.”

Source: wamiz.es