Dog Dies When Owner Leaves it Home Alone to Attend Competition

smkie

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I don't even like leaving mine at home to go to the doctor or the guild. THat is at the most 8 hrs for the doc and less for the guild. My worry is more the wiring in this building than anything else and have asked the neighbors please open the door and let them out of at all possible if this happens. I leave them loose in the house so only the outside door would have to be opened. When we had our fire, I dind't know if the cats made it or not, and was horrified, and then relieved a day later when they showed up. This is a very sad affair. poor dog. Heat stroke is a horrid way to die, you don't just past out, it comes with horrid abdominal pain, as well as panic.. I am sure she could have found someone the dog could stay with, or could have checked on her. Too many things can go wrong, and for a game, why take the chance? I have had people drive over when I was hospitalized, screw everything else, I never want to lose my animals in such a horrid way.
 
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Alasse

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I have left my dog alone for 24hrs upto 36hrs. She is an outside dog. I fill buckets and large containers with water. She has nearly 2acres to poop on, she has a dry warm kennel, she has shade trees if its hot. She has large containers of water she can lay in to cool of. She has food available in her kennel, and well if she runs out she wont starve.
I also fast her 1 day per week, she has been doing that since she came out of puppyhood.
If i had to be away longer than that unplanned then i would ring and organise someone to go check on her and make sure she was ok. If i knew i was going to be away longer than that i would have already organised a pet sitter or she would be in a kennel facility.

My indoor cats are also the same. I fill the bath as a backup waterwise just incase they run out they can get access to water. I have self filling food bowls so they have food. We leave a few windows cracked in summer because it gets darn warm in the house, and to close it up completely would not be good at all. Again if i was away longer unplanned i would ring someone or if it was planned they would also go to the kennel.

My fish can go for a week without a feed, so they are just left. Having a neighbour feed generally creates more problems, better to leave them be.

The lady in question, she should have had the dog autopsied, or demanded it be done, i certainly would. 24-36hrs unattended would not phase me in the least.
 

smkie

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I saw a truck where a dog had died from heat stroke in it. NOt before she completely slathered the windows with blood and drool, took out the dash and the seats. and panels to the doors. If this dog died of heat stroke, I can figure the scene probably looked a whole lot like that and I will bet that photos of such a scene had great influence on her sentencing, which I agree with.

IF I was gone 36 hours the first time Mary had her pancreatic attack, I would have had a dead dog when I got back. Yes there are early onset and fast illnesses that could happen while your at the grocery store, but if it is something like that, or bloat, or any other similar situation 36 hours is a hell of a long time to suffer or a very hard way to die. No animal or human without the ability to call for help should be left for so long without someone checking on their welfare.
 

Alasse

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If she was offcolour or not quite herself i wouldnt leave her that long.

She is a healthy dog, i have no reason to not leave her, she is left through the day, i have to work, she could just as easily die in that time, i hope to gawd she never does i would be devastated.

But stuff happens, i love my dog she is my responsibility, but i do have other responsibilities.

Leaving her that long is not something i do often, but going to work is something i have to do everyday, she is on her own for around 8 hours, sometimes a bit less, sometime a bit longer, she's fine being on her own, she doesnt have separation anxiety, she has plenty of toys/balls to keep her amused. First thing i do when i do get home is check on her, give her fresh water (wether she needs it or not) and we do the groom/play thing
 

Kimbers

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I don't get why she didn't just take the dog with her. Maybe I'm just stupid, but I would think that it would be easier to just pack an extra crate and some food than guessing how cool you need to keep the house and how much water the dog will need. (Something that it sounds like she may have done poorly anyhow.)
And I know when you go to a trial, you'll want to focus on the dog you're competing with, but it's not like you'll be running dogs the entire weekend.
 

smkie

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8-10 hours is unavoidable everyone has to work. 36 hours is a whole different story. In that time you should make arrangements for someone to check in. When my Brother went out of town, I went 4 times a day for his dog was elderly including a short visit. My Mom has me call her every morning in case she passes in the night, she is 86, so her dogs won't have to wait too long to go out. It just isn't' that hard to find someone who can pop in. THe length of time is the problem, and because of long term suffering.
 

Alasse

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Yep well i am comfortable doing that, i know my dog would be comfortable being alone that long. Yes something could happen, but it could also happen while i am at work.

I do not have anyone here that will come to check my dog constantly, i live out of town. If i rang (past 36hrs), because i was caught unplanned, they'd pop out for a once off. As i said if i knew i was going to be longer than that i would put them into a kennel before i left.
 

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