I WON'T JUDGE YOU

I don’t judge everyone that’s surrendered a pet – I’ve done it too.. Now I bet that changed your opinion of me at least a little, and the thoughts of what sort of pet owner could I possibly be. “You can’t get a pet just to get rid of them”. *Surrendering a pet = evil person* is what I’ve noticed people act like lately.

While I don’t understand the silly reasons people give up their pets, like “he chewed up my furniture”. I do understand why a lot do. Things happen. Life changes so quickly. 

I don’t get pets with the intention to give them up. I don’t think anyone does really.

We get our pets because we want a best friend, a furry little creature to love on-Sometimes that’s not what we get. Sometimes people end up with an animal with serious behavioral problems. Sometimes horrible things happen beyond your control like allergies, money issues, etc. 

So when I see all these conversations about surrendering a pet I just keep my mouth shut. I can’t help and wonder if there’s others out there like me who find the comment “everyone who surrenders a pet is evil” “they shouldn’t be a pet owner” a bit upsetting. If so this is for you – I want you to know I don’t think you’re evil. I know it’s not an easy decision and I know you wouldn’t say goodbye if you didn’t have too. I understand that the overpopulation of shelters is horrible. But I also understand that there’s some people out there that have had to surrender a pet for serious reasons. So while I hate hearing about animals being surrendered as much as anyone else I can’t just automatically judge them.

Saying this, no, we do not have the ducks. I’m very aware all the judgment and mean subs will come but that’s fine. It was a decision I did not like making. I cried watching them leave and I still ask for updates and photos of them every Friday. 

I took very good care of them and really loved them. I did everything right and thought everything was going well, but.. I live outside the city in farm area. It’s one of the reasons we got ducks, a lot of people around me have ducks, chickens, cows, etc. So visiting a friend down the road who has a ton of animals (including about 20ducks so she’s how I learned to care for mine), looking out her window & seeing all her ducks she had on her big land, playing in the steam that ran through it.. my heart sank and I asked if she could hang on to my beautiful babies. She always wanted peckin white ducks since all hers where brown. She loved my two ‘swan’ girls. While I did take good care of them I didn’t think they would be as happy with me as they would with her. I didn’t think it was fair of me to keep them at my home when they could be roaming around here happier. 

I got my ducks wanting to keep them forever. I realized while having ducks was so amazing, they didn’t belong with me. I wanted them happy and they are much happier with other ducks in their stream. I can still see them whenever I want as well. 

Towards the end as they got bigger they started to become a little aggressive towards my son especially, which the ducks were for him so that wasn’t good. They would run and snap at him. We stuck it out hoping it would end, but it didn’t. After awhile it got where my son wouldn’t go near them anymore. I started to think it was because they just weren’t as happy. I gave them treats, spoiled them really but they still acted as if they didn’t like us.

Sometimes people get pets they want to love forever and it just doesn’t work out. This happened to be one of those times. Maybe I shouldn’t have got them, I’m aware. But I did what was best for them and gave them to my friend down the road to be happy. I’m okay with my choice even if others aren’t.

So everytime I get comments “where’s the ducks” I know
 why you’re asking. I can see the judgment.

For now on I should just start saying “we ate them”.