Does being a friend mean I can trust you to take care of my furry friends? This morning I was listening to my local radio station, they have a segment where people can write in for advice if they have a dilemma or concern. Today’s question “My friend is going to B.C for a trip and has asked me to take care of his dog. He doesn’t really have a lot of friends to ask, so I said yes. I don’t like dogs and I am not really interested in taking care of his mutt. I was thinking I would pay to put his dog in a kennel while he is gone, but not tell him. Does this make me a bad friend?” I had a really simple answer to that question, “Hell yes, it makes you a crappy friend! A clueless friend!” This poor guy felt close enough to this individual to ask them to take care of his best friend, it is despicable to me that this person would betray his trust, not to mention the fact that his canine companion would suffer the consequences of this individual’s lapse in judgement. There is so much wrong with the inquirers line of thinking, obviously they are not a pet person, so the fact that this misguided idiot thinks they can adequately choose a caregiver is laughable! They are obviously clueless that every reputable establishment that boards animals will require proof of vaccinations and other information regarding their charge. And the big issue, what happens if something goes wrong, then what? More lies? I truly hope this person is forth right with their friend and says they are unwilling to take proper care of the dog, this way, the guy can find another option and he, the one who knows his pet, will be the one making the choices knowing his animal’s individual needs. The whole scenario has been playing over and over in my head today, I can’t understand how this person can call themselves a friend and in the next sentence think it is acceptable to be deceptive. I can imagine their inner dialogue to justify paying someone else to take care of the pet. “It’s just a dog…it doesn’t matter where it is…a kennel will be fine…as long as they feed it and let it out to go pee, it doesn’t matter where it is? Really it’s not a big deal! ” Agreeing to take care of someone else’s fur baby, a member of their family, is a BIG commitment that should not be taken lightly! If someone entrusts you to ask you to watch over their pet they are thinking you are someone whom they can count on!! I remember when we went to Wales way back when we lived in Salmon Arm, our dog was with the couple next door, who I trusted implicitly. Piper got away on a walk and thankfully Charlie was able to get her back, after she had run across a major intersection with cars swerving to avoid her. In Thunder Bay we had a young fellow staying with our dog Nishka, she got very sick while we were gone and this poor kid had to take her to our Vet for us. That young man had to carry my 55 pound dog who had Vestibular Syndrome in and out of the house until we were able to return from our vacation. He went above and beyond to take care of her, being able to trust him gave us peace of mind when we were so far away knowing that she was so sick. My stomach has been in knots, hoping that this guy who is heading to B.C isn’t duped by his “friend” and that if he is, that the poor dog makes it through the experience unscathed! Choosing a caregiver for your pet is no small task! Trust is a key ingredient in the selection process and the idea that someone who calls themselves a friend could put your other very vulnerable ” furry friend” at risk!!
No Time To Paws 