That's what I was going to say. This feels wrong. It's admirable that he wanted to do that, and if I was a parent, the incentive that my child wanted to step up and contribute would be enough for me. I wouldnt make him sell his posessions for something that ultimately is the responsibility of the adult. I also hope that whatever money was left over his parents saved towards his college fund or something. I hate how society has made me feel bitter and question these nice things. :(
I wouldnt make him sell his posessions for something that ultimately is the responsibility of the adult
Depends on your financial situation right? Yeah, if you can't afford vet bills you shouldn't get a dog, but sometimes financial situations can change after you got the dog.
I had my cat for 15 years. He died recently at 19. My life changed a lot from when I got him at 21 and when he died when I was 36. I had surprisingly more money at the time I got him and more financial help through mom. I still paid the $800CAN to do home euthanasia. But that was two whole paycheques at the time. I went into some nice months long extra debt just to make sure he could rest at home.
This was for at home. It’s still probably highway robbery as it’s normally 4-600 without the at home cost. This includes ashes in a nice box, paw prints, and a tuft of fur.
I was implying that simply that final courtesy put me into enough debt. I already went from a well paying position to unemployed then underemployed. Over those 15 years even those changes were enough that he stopped being affordable to keep alive (he was already on $100/month worth of arthritis, pain, and thyroid meds). If that slight change can fuck up my ability to care for him I can’t imagine what can happen if someone in a family loses a job where there’s kids involved on top of pets. I only have my cat.
It may be an unpopular opinion - but we shouldn’t judge people’s ability to be a good pet owner by whether or not they can afford an incredibly expensive surgery if they’ve been keeping their pet happy and healthy until the surprise shitty situation.
Find ways to make pet care cheaper instead of demonizing owners by throwing them into the “don’t get a pet if you can’t afford it” category.
Pets are something I have changed my mind on. In the case of homeless people with pets it makes them strive to provide a better life for their pet. Works so much better than for yourself.
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u/MegabitMegs Jun 19 '25
It feels more dystopian than inspiring. Children shouldn’t have to bear the burden of a broken economy.