Uh Think It's Time For A Fb Break...

[The Spotted Devil]

Am I the only one that gets so frustrated at FB posts regarding pets? I have seen so many posts recently that make my blood boil! Eg dog dying of mystery illness, local vet has no idea but owner refuses to seek help elsewhere. Lots of people suggested specialists etc but it was all ignored.

Then today, SBT with anxiety issues (which mainly sounds like escaping due to boredom). Local vet suggests medicating the dog which apparently will cost $5.50 per day. Owner can't afford that. So I suggest walking the dog every day, playing games, teaching tricks, get a back pack to make him work harder on walks, etc. All of which are free! Nope, too hard. Can't possibly walk him every day as she has a toddler...

People want a magic fix, god forbid they actually have to do something.

Save yourself the stress and turn off group notifications so that you don't see the posts and feel tempted to reply.

One of my own experiences..

A woman cross-posts a post about a woman in the north west of Tasmania whose dog has just died. The dog was convulsing in her back yard late at night so she called a vet. Vet said he/she wouldn't come into the clinic without a deposit of.. (here is where my memory gets shady) either $50 or $100 dollars for an after-hours emergency. Either way, not a huge amount of money for the life of her pet. She doesn't have the money and apparently has absolutely no way at all of raising it so the dog dies in her backyard, after two hours of convulsions. And, because of course, this is all the vet's fault and not only has she contacted the RSPCA, but also the police, to see about pressing charges of animal cruelty against the vet. You couldn't make this sh*t up.

So anyway, I replied with some information from the Tasmanian AWA, which included the vet's obligations and the owners. To cut a long story short, the owner, as the person responsible for the dog, was actually the one who could be charged and I pointed out (as gently as I could) that this was why it's important to have a plan in place, especially if you're on a low income. The entire situation was unfortunately preventable.

The collective reaction from the rest of the group..

"Omg, you're so cold"

"OMG how about some sympathy for the owner" (for allowing her dog to die a slow, horrible death?)

"OMG I hope your dog never gets sick" (I'd.. take it to the vet and pay for treatment? Like most people would?)

"OMG Your [sic] a bitch"

And so on and so forth.

I was about to be upset by the responses (because I'd spent a lot of time writing a carefully considered response including references to each piece of the legislation) but then I remembered that it was people on FB, where collective intelligence decreases for every person involved in the discussion, until it has fully devolved into people calling each other names (see examples above), and at that point, can go no further. It mattered not one bit that I was correct, the people wanted to enjoy their internet outrage at the vet and when I tried to point out that the owner had to take some responsibility, that righteous fury got directed my way. At which point, I clicked the little [x] in the top right-hand corner and left it at that.

As I've pointed out before, you can lead a horse to water but you can't make that horse not a complete moron. And FB is full of horses running around in tinfoil hats, calling each other names and licking the windows.

QFT. for taking the time to type that out Maddy.

Kirty you're a good egg. Seriously love your work. You can't save the world but you sure as heck do way more than your little bit. Block, unfollow, ignore - whatever you need to do because you do MORE than enough.

[Maddy]

Kirty you're a good egg. Seriously love your work. You can't save the world but you sure as heck do way more than your little bit. Block, unfollow, ignore - whatever you need to do because you do MORE than enough.

And this.

I've found that writing little articles for my website and FB page is a much better use of my time and unlike FB arguments, the articles are easy to find and direct people to if they want the information. Perhaps that'd be a better outlet, Kirty? I find inspiration for articles from FB posts (and sometimes here) and go from there. I think it'd be especially useful for topics that the average person would have very limited knowledge of, like caring for native wildlife.

After all, you can't lead the tinfoil hat-wearing horse to water but you can at least make sure the water is there, just in case it eventually gets thirsty enough :D

(As an example, a lot of people seem unsure about when to rug their greys so I wrote and "illustrated" this-

Hopefully link works. If not, look up Greyhound Haven Tasmania and it should be the most recent post. ) Edited April 4, 2016 by Maddy

[The Spotted Devil]

After all, you can't lead the tinfoil hat-wearing horse to water but you can at least make sure the water is there, just in case it eventually gets thirsty enough :D

Stop it Maddy you're killing me

Edited April 4, 2016 by The Spotted Devil

[denali]

1459725763[/url]' post='6801257']

LOL - Denali - I think you have your quotes / threads mixed up :)

Regarding this thread - I dumped a heap of pages the other week - all raw feeding, all natural care, all adoption and rescue, a lot of foody pages.

It's been great - and funnily enough I went back to one - which I had only unfollowed and - I've already got in a spat this morning over desexing.

Best thing about it? Pages which had been buried by FBs algorithm are popping back up in my feed and i'm seeing stuff Ive not seen in ages

i have no idea how that happened! I I didn't even try and reply to that other thread, and just pressed the quote button in this one.. My iPad hates it when I visit dol and try to reply to things :laugh: So bizarre,

[denali]

:laugh: Maddy that last bit is so true! sometimes all you can do is hit the x in the corner.

[Mim]

Haha Maddy.

I'm in a bird group and is taken me a while to not try and help every uneducated person out there. Reality and sensible answers are not always welcome and straight after a sensible reply someone can add a completely rubbish one like they haven't bothered reading what has come before. If someone mentions their birds is biting the range of answers is astounding!

It's like people skim the surface of knowledge, or repeat back parts of information now taken completely out of context.

Oh my gosh YES. This happens so often and it's actually ridiculous. You can even gain enemies just from providing information and advice!

[Scottsmum]

Happening right now on FB. I'm staying out of it.

Owner: Hey Guys - what's that thing where your pitty shakes constantly.

Lots of others: What kind of shaking?

Owner: Like my dog constantly shakes. I've googled it I don't think its idiopathic head tremors

Sensible one: Hey you're in Palmy arent you? You should go for a check up at Massey Uni. They've got lots of specialists there.

Owner: IDK. Sounds expensive.

Sensible one: Nah - just the cost of the initial vet visit then they'll tell you if you need extra stuff.

A bit further on:

Google generalised tremor syndrome, also canine distemper

Seriously. You can't make this shit up...What the F do they think they're going to do after Dr Google diagnoses the problem?

Edited April 6, 2016 by Scottsmum

[JayGee]

It's the Buy Sell or Swap pages that really upset me. Trying to give dogs away.....If anyone suggests a Rescue Group, or make sure the dog is desexed before re homing, it becomes a nightmare. I find I'm steering clear of anything that can upset me these days. I'm living in my own bubble.

[Scottsmum]

We're still going with the "shaky pitty"

Someone with the same surname has suggested "he just needs to visit his nanny"

someone else has chimed in and said my dog "had that took 3500 to find out I just had to feed him fk all meat and lots bickies"

[Dame Aussie]

What Maddy said. Especially the licking windows part which made me LOL. Sometimes it's better to ignore what you can't do anything about.

[Dogsfevr]

I just block the grps ,can always unblock but that way I see nothing

[mr.mister]

It's the Buy Sell or Swap pages that really upset me. Trying to give dogs away.....If anyone suggests a Rescue Group, or make sure the dog is desexed before re homing, it becomes a nightmare. I find I'm steering clear of anything that can upset me these days. I'm living in my own bubble.

Yep, my local BSS pages are horrid, they make me want to pull my hair out. Particularly all the 'Anyone have any free kittens?' posts. God knows what happens to those poor little mites.

I think I'll leave the groups soon, before I go mad.

[Scottsmum]

It's the Buy Sell or Swap pages that really upset me. Trying to give dogs away.....If anyone suggests a Rescue Group, or make sure the dog is desexed before re homing, it becomes a nightmare. I find I'm steering clear of anything that can upset me these days. I'm living in my own bubble.

Yep, my local BSS pages are horrid, they make me want to pull my hair out. Particularly all the 'Anyone have any free kittens?' posts. God knows what happens to those poor little mites.

I think I'll leave the groups soon, before I go mad.

I managed to get pets banned from one of my local BSS pages.

Someone posting a white & fluffy - profile photo was of a kid - in a school uniform from an area about an hour away, photos all over the profile of a bit burley staffy type - but the fluffy had to go "due to a change in circumstances". When I said "hey - we're in Marrickville and your photos show you (or your kids?) in Blacktown school uniforms - what's the deal? why are you posting here - not locally" they got really defensive - then of course the usual people chimed in and suggests a Rescue Group, or make sure the dog is desexed before re homing and it got really nasty - threats of violence - if we ever see you on the street we'll punch your F-ing stupid head in & so on.

Long story short - that was the end of pets on that particular page...

[flame ryder]

Am I the only one that gets so frustrated at FB posts regarding pets? I have seen so many posts recently that make my blood boil! Eg dog dying of mystery illness, local vet has no idea but owner refuses to seek help elsewhere. Lots of people suggested specialists etc but it was all ignored.

Then today, SBT with anxiety issues (which mainly sounds like escaping due to boredom). Local vet suggests medicating the dog which apparently will cost $5.50 per day. Owner can't afford that. So I suggest walking the dog every day, playing games, teaching tricks, get a back pack to make him work harder on walks, etc. All of which are free! Nope, too hard. Can't possibly walk him every day as she has a toddler...

People want a magic fix, god forbid they actually have to do something.

Save yourself the stress and turn off group notifications so that you don't see the posts and feel tempted to reply.

One of my own experiences..

A woman cross-posts a post about a woman in the north west of Tasmania whose dog has just died. The dog was convulsing in her back yard late at night so she called a vet. Vet said he/she wouldn't come into the clinic without a deposit of.. (here is where my memory gets shady) either $50 or $100 dollars for an after-hours emergency. Either way, not a huge amount of money for the life of her pet. She doesn't have the money and apparently has absolutely no way at all of raising it so the dog dies in her backyard, after two hours of convulsions. And, because of course, this is all the vet's fault and not only has she contacted the RSPCA, but also the police, to see about pressing charges of animal cruelty against the vet. You couldn't make this sh*t up.

So anyway, I replied with some information from the Tasmanian AWA, which included the vet's obligations and the owners. To cut a long story short, the owner, as the person responsible for the dog, was actually the one who could be charged and I pointed out (as gently as I could) that this was why it's important to have a plan in place, especially if you're on a low income. The entire situation was unfortunately preventable.

The collective reaction from the rest of the group..

"Omg, you're so cold"

"OMG how about some sympathy for the owner" (for allowing her dog to die a slow, horrible death?)

"OMG I hope your dog never gets sick" (I'd.. take it to the vet and pay for treatment? Like most people would?)

"OMG Your [sic] a bitch"

And so on and so forth.

I was about to be upset by the responses (because I'd spent a lot of time writing a carefully considered response including references to each piece of the legislation) but then I remembered that it was people on FB, where collective intelligence decreases for every person involved in the discussion, until it has fully devolved into people calling each other names (see examples above), and at that point, can go no further. It mattered not one bit that I was correct, the people wanted to enjoy their internet outrage at the vet and when I tried to point out that the owner had to take some responsibility, that righteous fury got directed my way. At which point, I clicked the little [x] in the top right-hand corner and left it at that.

As I've pointed out before, you can lead a horse to water but you can't make that horse not a complete moron. And FB is full of horses running around in tinfoil hats, calling each other names and licking the windows.

She really wanted someone to come around with the poor darling attitude and give her the money, then go away never to be seen again...unless she needed (wanted) more cash for some other dying animal

[persephone]

Oh dear - I was very polite ..and perhaps I am being 'superior'

someone mentions poisoning weeds in their brand new veggie patch .

people gently try & steer them away from using this method .

turns out partner is horticulturally employed.

I offer links to methods great for a small patch ..esp as they are going away , so leaving areas covered in something would be perfect!

nope.

then concern at keeping the dog out .

yep. The "fence' would maybe keep out a geriatric guinea pig....

Oh well - :)

[Kajirin]

Mmm my DVD copy of Idiocracy arrived this week [got it on sale and only $1.60 postage], I have yet to watch it...one of my favourite movies and reading all of this has made me want to watch it again

[Katdogs]

I stay away from the BSS pages (except inner west which doesn't do pets - Scottsmum was that you?) but wow, even lost pets is tricky! Am I really that wrong in suggesting a habitual stray is better going back to Sydney Dog & Cats home than going to 'I'll take him if he isn't chipped' person? And SOOO many lost cats who 'didn't come home' - ummm, because keeping a cat in is so hard really?

[Scottsmum]

I stay away from the BSS pages (except inner west which doesn't do pets - Scottsmum was that you?) but wow, even lost pets is tricky! Am I really that wrong in suggesting a habitual stray is better going back to Sydney Dog & Cats home than going to 'I'll take him if he isn't chipped' person? And SOOO many lost cats who 'didn't come home' - ummm, because keeping a cat in is so hard really?

No i was marrickville pay it forward; )

[Katdogs]

I stay away from the BSS pages (except inner west which doesn't do pets - Scottsmum was that you?) but wow, even lost pets is tricky! Am I really that wrong in suggesting a habitual stray is better going back to Sydney Dog & Cats home than going to 'I'll take him if he isn't chipped' person? And SOOO many lost cats who 'didn't come home' - ummm, because keeping a cat in is so hard really?

No i was marrickville pay it forward; )

I just joined that one too! Great group.

[gillybob]

I HATE the BSS pages we have one here and the amount of cross breds with stupid names is silly.

I had an argument with a man who was selling Bassadors basset cross labs. I asked f they were going to have their hips ect done. As both those breeds can have problems.

Then it was on.

Shut you mouth you bitch ect

Then it got really nasty and everyone on the page had a go at me.

Then he threatened me, I asked if he was threatening me and if he was he should be careful because that sort of stuff is illegal.

Then it all imploded.

The night before he did the same to Fi.

I was concerned because the pups looked a bit like a black short haired Fauve!

We also get a bloke who travels through here every now and then buying whole litters of pups so everyone thinks their crosses are worth 100s of dollars.