Does anyone else work at a vet and experience calls from people wanting to get rid of their pigs?

4boipigs

4boipigs

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This is a rant/question of sorts.

I work at a vet. I have for about 6 months. I acquired my second set of pigs after someone called us in October because they had found guinea pigs abandoned in a fried chicken box. Recently someone had called because they were unknowingly sold a male/female pair, and now have babies. Both people wanted to know what to do/where to take the pigs. The second caller was under the impression *I* would take the pigs because a coworker mentioned I have pigs. This week, someone came to my work and just dumped an entire bearded dragon set up with the lizard and walked away. Luckily I wasn't present for that event.

Of course, it upsets me that people think we're a place to leave their unwanted critters. Does anyone here work at a vet and experience these things? How do you handle it? In my state we have a few pig rescues, but they are almost always full. I left a list of pig rescues for my coworkers, but I've been told by the rescues to take the pigs to a shelter if the rescue is full.
 
Hi,

I’m a fellow vet staff! I’m a veterinary nurse in Cambridgeshire and my fellow nurses and myself usually end up adopting any animals deemed ‘stray’.

I had only been there a month when I bought home my JRT whom had been abandoned with a prolapsed anus.We recently had a piggy bought in who had ringworm and the o didn’t want to pay for the treatment so we kept her, treated her and have now revoked her with my other nurse (Id have taken her if she was male).

It is difficult to see them just discarded but it is unfortunately a big part of the job. Luckily, our vets offer a sign over so that we then own the pets and can look to rehome within our circle and clients.

If you ever need to talk, message me :)
 
I do not work at the vet, but I just wanted to mention that this is so sad. I also wonder if this will continue to increase over the coming months as winter hits in, people don't wanna leave, and the strain of the pandemic goes up.

As a side note, @Jesse's pigs and @4boipigs - Thank you for the work you do. Truly and deeply. <3
 
I work for a rescue and had animals abandoned at my doorstep before. Not anymore, now we've moved to cul-de-sac. But my colleagues and dog wardens had the same experience. Sometimes people think just leaving them with someone responsible and knowledgeable is enough as our conscience won't let us sleep until they're safe.
I have no idea what organisations you have over the pond to help you. Whilst it's not justified to abandon them and it breaks my heart, I hate seeing them on 'free to a good home' adverts more.
 
When I used to work for one of the big chain pet stores as a teen, someone dumped a whole box of rats in the delivery bay. We weren't getting any deliveries that day and it was really cold out. Thankfully someone went out for a smoke break and found the box before the rats got too cold. We ended up putting the up for adoption in the store.

The local humane society has the local news to please ask people not to dump animals at their facilities especially since it is starting to get cold.
 
This is sad. I don't work at a vets but I'm down on there as Guinea pig guy . They know I would take one if needs . . I have room and love to share. Xx
The owners have lots animals that are left . . Lucky no piggies yet.
 
It’s such a disposable society that we live in now, it’s so sad and totally unacceptable. Adults should commit to looking after pets that they have allowed their children to have, being bored is no excuse! What lessons are the parents teaching their kids :no:
 
I used to work at a vets, it was usually kittens that were left on the doorstep not piggies. I try not to be judgemental of people who abandon animals at places such as vets, I don't know their circumstances and think maybe they are desperate and just can't cope or the pet is at risk from an other family member and they are trying to do their best for the animal by leaving it somewhere safe. But dumping animals at the side of the road, etc, well that is entirely different.

What I found the hardest when working at the vets were people who didn't want to have their pets treated because of the cost even tho they could afford it. One time a man got really angry and said it was ridiculous it would cost £70 to have his rabbits injured leg treated because the rabbit had only cost £10!! He wanted it pts instead, well that rabbit got signed over, treated, went to a rabbit rescue and found a new loving home.
 
Pound Shilling & Pig said:
I used to work at a vets, it was usually kittens that were left on the doorstep not piggies. I try not to be judgemental of people who abandon animals at places such as vets, I don't know their circumstances and think maybe they are desperate and just can't cope or the pet is at risk from an other family member and they are trying to do their best for the animal by leaving it somewhere safe. But dumping animals at the side of the road, etc, well that is entirely different.

What I found the hardest when working at the vets were people who didn't want to have their pets treated because of the cost even tho they could afford it. One time a man got really angry and said it was ridiculous it would cost £70 to have his rabbits injured leg treated because the rabbit had only cost £10! He wanted it pts instead, well that rabbit got signed over, treated, went to a rabbit rescue and found a new loving home.
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Not bunnys fault. Bad man. :cen:
 
Jesse's pigs said:
Hi,

I’m a fellow vet staff! I’m a veterinary nurse in Cambridgeshire and my fellow nurses and myself usually end up adopting any animals deemed ‘stray’.

I had only been there a month when I bought home my JRT whom had been abandoned with a prolapsed anus.We recently had a piggy bought in who had ringworm and the o didn’t want to pay for the treatment so we kept her, treated her and have now revoked her with my other nurse (Id have taken her if she was male).

It is difficult to see them just discarded but it is unfortunately a big part of the job. Luckily, our vets offer a sign over so that we then own the pets and can look to rehome within our circle and clients.

If you ever need to talk, message me :)
Click to expand...
Hello @Jesse's pigs, are any of the vets at your practice piggy savvy? Looking for a vet in the cambridge-ish area. Thanks. (PM if you want to reply that way.)
 
It is sadly not at all uncommon. In the USA and Canada, unaffordable upfront treatment cost are a big problem. Most vet nurses I know have got pets that have fetched up at their clinic in pretty much every country.
I know similar stories from guinea pig rescues/no-kill shelters all over the world that I am in contact with, including US rescues.

The problem is unfortunately set to get rather worse due to the pandemic with the spikes in unresearched purchased pets (especially via free-ads/online) during lockdowns and then the big dump once restrictions are eased again but with a shifted focus, interest in adoptions is not all that high. :(

PS: My Barri was a vet surrender for a bad incorrectly home treated case of ringworm. The first vet he was finally taken to wanted to pts/euthanise straight away. The second vet had him signed over to TEAS sanctuary and treated correctly there; I adopted him from TEAS four years ago next week.
 
It's so heartbreaking. :( I'm in Canada and I know it happens here because my vet sometimes asks me if I would be able to adopt pigs/rats/hamsters who have been abandoned. I'm known the the 'rodent person,' I guess. Unfortunately I can't take them, we're out of room, and I always feel bad about it. :(
 
Whilst I absolutely agree that animals are treated like disposable items, please keep in mind that there are countless animals that don't get the luxury of being abandoned at the vets, or in the very least somewhere they may be found. The fact that the person has enough empathy and a conscience enough to alert somebody else to the plight of the pet should be cherished.

One of my areas of study and interest is psychology, and a particular focus on empathy (no empathy = psychopath). Aside from deliberate cruelty, the behaviour I find most distressing are instancies where somebody will mentally block out the existance of another living being. I've seen this countless times with pets, and now seeing it with children. Animals locked away and ignored until they're dead.

A moderately cruel example is when people move out of a house and leave the pets behind but don't tell anyone. Unforgiveably irresponsible, but perhaps they believed that somebody inspecting the house would find them.

Then there are instances where somebody will lock their pet in a room and just never open that door again, despite still living in the house. Severe mental illness is usually the culprit, but I personally don't have any sympathy.

Instancies where animals have been abandoned in locked storage boxes and dumped in the middle of nowhere to die.

My friend owned a horse who had been rescued from a situation where the owner had shut 20+ horses in a barn and left the country. Most of the horses were dead when they were found.

So, when I read that sombody has dumped a pet at the vets, I think "there's a slither of empathy".

Please don't take empathy and a conscience for granted; there are plenty of people without these virtues and their animals don't stand a chance.
 
Carlie137 said:
Whilst I absolutely agree that animals are treated like disposable items, please keep in mind that there are countless animals that don't get the luxury of being abandoned at the vets, or in the very least somewhere they may be found. The fact that the person has enough empathy and a conscience enough to alert somebody else to the plight of the pet should be cherished.

One of my areas of study and interest is psychology, and a particular focus on empathy (no empathy = psychopath). Aside from deliberate cruelty, the behaviour I find most distressing are instancies where somebody will mentally block out the existance of another living being. I've seen this countless times with pets, and now seeing it with children. Animals locked away and ignored until they're dead.

A moderately cruel example is when people move out of a house and leave the pets behind but don't tell anyone. Unforgiveably irresponsible, but perhaps they believed that somebody inspecting the house would find them.

Then there are instances where somebody will lock their pet in a room and just never open that door again, despite still living in the house. Severe mental illness is usually the culprit, but I personally don't have any sympathy.

Instancies where animals have been abandoned in locked storage boxes and dumped in the middle of nowhere to die.

My friend owned a horse who had been rescued from a situation where the owner had shut 20+ horses in a barn and left the country. Most of the horses were dead when they were found.

So, when I read that sombody has dumped a pet at the vets, I think "there's a slither of empathy".

Please don't take empathy and a conscience for granted; there are plenty of people without these virtues and their animals don't stand a chance.
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Incredibly well said! I could not agree more. The examples you describe are rather extreme, but I experience smaller instances of this weird lack of empathy in my life so often. I am a small animal lover and even people who seem to love and have empathy for cats and dogs don't have the same respect for smaller animals. People act like small animals are especially disposable for some reason. I was telling someone not long ago that I was thinking about getting a rabbit and their response was literally "you should get one, if it dies you can just get another, they aren't that expensive, it's not a dog." ? Not to mention plenty of people seemingly unable to understand how I could be so attached and care so much for my guinea pigs. My uncle even made a joke to me about how he "tried guinea pig in Peru" and that they " are delicious and taste like chicken." My initial thought in my head was like... What kind of psychopath makes a joke like that to a guinea pig lover?

I personally see this issue when people want to talk to me about why I am vegan as well. I'm not a pushy vegan and you can eat whatever you feel comfortable with, but some people I've talked with seem to believe that pigs and cows aren't living beings with feelings? I know a lot of people mentally block it out because they do have some empathy for the animals, so they just refuse to think about it and that's ok, I understand that, but the amount of people who act as if farm animals are just objects is disturbingly high.

Overall I think empathy for animals varies so greatly from person to person. I agree that abandoning a pet at a vets office is
not the worst thing that could happen to an animal. It's incredibly irresponsible, but they are intentionally still giving the animal a chance at life, which is far better than what some others would do.

Didn't mean to rant, your text was just very thought provoking 😃
 
h.h.lovecraft said:
My uncle even made a comment to me about how he "tried guinea pig in Peru" and that they " are delicious and taste like chicken." My initial thought in my head was like... What kind of psychopath makes a comment like that to a guinea pig lover? He seriously thought it was funny to tell my guinea pig loving family that.
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I just realized that I wrote it as if my uncle was purely joking but he wasn't. He DID actually eat guinea pig, he wasn't joking about that, the "joke" was that he was telling us, a guinea pig loving family, that he did that 🙄
 
h.h.lovecraft said:
My uncle even made a joke to me about how he "tried guinea pig in Peru" and that they " are delicious and taste like chicken." My initial thought in my head was like... What kind of psychopath makes a joke like that to a guinea pig lover?
Click to expand...
I've had that one said to me. I think they do it to get a rise out of us, so I just ignore it if someone says it to me now.
I ignore it, and then I do my best to avoid them in the future also! I don't want to waste any time on someone who says such a crass thing. I have cats and ponies as well as piggies, and they are all important to me. There's no size-ism in this house :luv: We just love them all :)
 
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