Does getting rid of a pet REALLY make you a bad owner?

I recently saw a website where people were bickering back and forth where getting rid of a pet makes you a bad owner. Some have worked in animal shelters, and some have not. Here are my own opinions:

Those who do just abandon pets either because they can't take care of them, or they don't have the time doesn't make them bad people. They simply got their selves in a bigger spot than they wanted. Instead of dumping the poor animal on the side of the road, however, they could have simply taken it to an rescue center.

I saw one person say "I don't feel bad for families who keep pets for a lifetime, only to give them up when they lose their job... etc, etc." I'm sorry, but if someone loses their job, they would have no means to buy themselves food- let alone food for the pets. Humans need to live, too. People don't know the exact circumstances to why the pets were given up. But 9 times out of 10, if the person really cared for the pet, they would find a great home for it.

I have 3 cats, and one of them was saved from a really bad life. She and her other brothers and sisters lived in a tiny shelter- with barely any food, water. Also, the shelter was not heated, nor was it cooled off in the summer. Now, she is 5 years old and healthy. Her daughter is not in the greatest of health, but we don't plan on getting rid of her just because of that. She has been with us since she was born, and will continue to stay with us.

There are MANY reasons for why a pet is given up, and some of them are horrific and sad... but some are legitimate, and accusations just make everyone on edge and brings them to their boiling point.

Stimulus Checks

The Stimulus Rebate Checks are a good idea... however, they send out these checks expecting people to spend them frivolously. My line of thinking is that we will not be just going to Wal-Mart and spending them all on junk we don't need- we will be using them to pay bills! The government wants us to buy, buy, buy, and that's not the case for most Americans.

Let's put it into perspective, shall we? Say you receive a $200 electric bill, and you have a stimulus check up to $600. What are you going to spend $200 of it on? That's right, that electric bill. Now, you must not forget that you have a water bill, your internet/cable bill, and the gas you have to put in your car. Where does that leave you? With very little money left to spend on groceries or food for your pets. Tell me, how does the government expect us to spend money on the economy when we must take care of ourselves? We need a house to live in. We need electricity to run everything inside of that house. We need gas in our car so we can get places. True, you could live without cable and the internet, but, in the day and age, it's not possible. I'm sure if you make over $150,000 a year, it's possible for you to spend $600 on a new TV, but we're talking about lower to middle class citizens who don't make over a 100k a year to buy all the finer things.

Bush made a statement this week stating that the checks (going out Monday) will help Americans with the rising gas and food prices. Also, it will help the slumping economy. Not true, Mr. President. You have a salary BEYOND most Americans. If the gas prices reach as high as $6, no one will be spending the money on gas. If food prices continue to rise, no one will be able to afford food to feed their family.

So, spend your checks wisely. If you feel you need a new pair of shoes- go ahead. However, if you have an over-due water bill, I would take care of that first.