Would You Do This?

Go read this.

Basically, a woman’s champion show dog was stolen from right in front of her in a parking lot while she was getting other dogs loaded in her van. She has since stopped going to work and remortgaged her house in order to provide a reward for anyone who can help find her dog.

I love my dogs. I do not think anyone can argue that I don’t. But I do not think I could go to those extremes. I would totally remortgage the house to pay for a life and quality of life saving surgery for one the dogs (though I likely wouldn’t have to, as we have emergency savings for situations like that), but to be able to offer the equivalent of a $16,000 reward? My dogs are priceless to me, but I have the rest of my family and our future to think about, too.

And as for stopping going to work? I would take time off to be devastated (I certainly have when we’ve lost dogs), but again, I don’t know that I could stop going altogether. For one, I would need something to take my mind off the situation. I just could not make my entire life about my missing dog. (It may make me seem even more heartless, but if C disappeared, I don’t know that I could make my entire life about my missing husband, either.) This is just not the way I am wired.

What would you do? Am I heartless? Do I just not love my dogs enough? Or is this woman a little more obsessed than a rational person? Am I wrong to expect someone who has had their dog stolen from right in front of them to be rational?

jan says:

January 31, 2013 at 8:38 am

What a sad story. She has invested so much of herself in the dog that I can understand why she is doing this. I probably would too.

The problem is that it sends a message that dognapping is an easy way to make a lot of money.

ErinShanendoah says:

January 31, 2013 at 9:29 am

The article says she cancelled Christmas, so I have to wonder, if, besides 3 other dogs, she has children or other family that she is now ignoring because of the one that is missing.

And I also agree, it makes it seem like if you want to make some decent money quickly, dognap a show dog

bringingupbella says:

January 31, 2013 at 12:26 pm

I would be completely wrecked if something happened to Bella. I can't say as I'd remortgage the house, but I'm pretty sure my boss knows I'd be useless in the office so….

ErinShanendoah says:

January 31, 2013 at 12:35 pm

Oh, I would almost certainly be out for a week or two when it first happened, but we're looking at over a month here. By this point, I'd be back at work. Maybe I'm influenced by the fact that I am the sole earner, so I cannot just stop going to work, but at some point, no matter how devastating the loss, you have to try and resume life.
1. bringingupbella says:
  
  January 31, 2013 at 12:41 pm
  
  Yeah, I have to agree. It's horrible to say but even people who lose their children have to get back in the game at some point.

jackiebouchard says:

January 31, 2013 at 6:37 pm

I think I agree with you. Hard to say, having not been in that position. And I have spent TONS o' money on a dog (with bone cancer) so I know what it's like to want to use your money to fix the problem – but a 16K reward. Wow. And to be away from work for that long… I agree, after a while you'd think you'd want the distraction at least of work. I do feel for her though. How awful!

Amy says:

January 31, 2013 at 9:26 pm

If you think about it, if the dog is a champion that has outstanding attributes and she breeds it a couple times she can easily recoup that money. Maybe that is what she is thinking.

Last summer I drove 3 hours to help a friend search the desert for ten hours in 105 degrees for her dog that escaped her possession after a car wreck. I think people do what ever they can when hope is low.

Amy says:

January 31, 2013 at 9:30 pm

Then I read the rest and see the dog was fixed… Who knows, bizarre story, she is not even sure the white van captured the dog.

kimateyesonthedollar says:

February 1, 2013 at 5:35 pm

I would be heartbroken, but I would not risk my family or stability to mortgage my home. I would carry on with my life for myself as well as others who are important. I feel really bad for her, but you can't fall apart when someone else depends on you.