Saving a family pet

Citizen J · 11-05-2009, 12:36 PM

Would you jump in a river to save a pet dog?

I don't have any pets at the moment but I always find it astonishing how people will risk their lives to save their pet. The main reason I brought this up is in relation to this news story on BBC News:

BBC NEWS | Scotland | Two dead after river rescue bid

Basically a man and his partner jumped into a river to save a pet dog and both died leaving behind their baby daughter.

Very said story indeed and was wondering what people's reaction to this is. It's not uncommon for people to risk their lives for their pets, would you do the same?

FZR400RRSP · 11-05-2009, 12:40 PM

I don't know the full ins and outs of this story, but I can't imagine any parent I know leaving a baby 'sitting there' alone, while they went and did something else.
What on earth were they thinking?
Did the guy jump in first, then the woman went to save him?
That goes against every maternal instinct I've ever encountered.
They would normally stay with the baby, whatever happened to the dog and/or the husband.
Incredibly tragic story, possibly inexcusable.
Different if the baby was left at home, being babysat.
But to (apparently) deliberately leave a baby on the shore is inexcusable.

jay mc · 11-05-2009, 12:42 PM

Yes i would take risks to save a family pet, even others pets and wild animals and have done in the past.

I do think they where stupid to both jump in though, one should have stayed with there kid and kept watch. The few times ive had to do somthing a little on the dangerus side ive always tryed to ensure there was someone to keep watch.

eric pisch · 11-05-2009, 12:45 PM

like the stupid people who kill themselves by swearing to avoid a fox on the road and plough into a bridge (happened near us about 8 years ago)

Naaktgeboren · 11-05-2009, 12:46 PM

In cases like this, you have to remember it is a 'family pet' what the hell did he think he could do. If the dog was struggling it should have been obvious he would have the same difficulties.

If his wife followed to save him leaving the baby after watching the dogs and then him in struggling, that's pretty messed up.

So no... I would not risk my life for a family pet.

Zeromajor · 11-05-2009, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eric pisch

like the stupid people who kill themselves by swearing to avoid a fox on the road and plough into a bridge (happened near us about 8 years ago)

Wheras you would probably put your foot down and grin manically.

FZR400RRSP · 11-05-2009, 12:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zeromajor

Wheras you would probably put your foot down and grin manically.

Err, I've done this before...
In my defence, I was brought up in the country, where this would get a pint from a grateful farmer.
God knows they'd just have shot the thing on sight anyway.
One man's cuddly dog-like animal is another man's vermin.

eric pisch · 11-05-2009, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zeromajor

Wheras you would probably put your foot down and grin manically.

10 points !!!! 25 if it has cubs !

Actually I would be worried about the damage it did to my car and who would clean out all the blood entrails and lumps of flesh and fir ..

I have hit a couple of rabbits, a crow (in flight) and a Labrador, the lab did £600 of damage to the car and then tried to bite me before running off when I went to help it, the owners paid for the damage as they had already been warned by the RSPCA for letting the dog come and go out of there garden as it wanted.

eric pisch · 11-05-2009, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bowfer

Err, I've done this before...
In my defence, I was brought up in the country, where this would get a pint from a grateful farmer.
God knows they'd just have shot the thing on sight anyway.
One man's cuddly dog-like animal is another man's vermin.

My cousin has a farm and i see them as vermin as do most farmers. Alot of the farmers got together one year and purged them from all the know nesting sites, i think the kill total was over 90 foxes at the end of the weekend.

Naaktgeboren · 11-05-2009, 12:57 PM

I hit a hare on the A2, the bugger left a life sized dent on my bumper. I pulled over and the hare was still alive

I would like to think it ran off and died a miserable death in the field somewhere (especially as the repair cost me close to £600)

Ed Selley · 11-05-2009, 1:03 PM

To be honest, this might be better titled "Saving a family dog." as those of us with cats, rabbits, hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs etc don't have animals stupid enough to put us in this situation.

And before anyone brings up a housefire- I have far more confidence in the cat escaping than me so- no I'd make no effort to save it then.

*Wild Weasel* · 11-05-2009, 1:04 PM

Quote:

Would you jump in a river to save a pet dog?

No I wouldn't, because they'd be on a lead near anything dangerous.

Every year this sort of thing happens with flooded rivers, stormy sea fronts and ice covered lakes. More often than not the dog swims to safety anyway.

Decadence · 11-05-2009, 1:05 PM

No, I would not jump in and try to save it.

(I can't swim very well)

johntheexpat · 11-05-2009, 1:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jows073

Would you jump in a river to save a pet dog?
.....................
It's not uncommon for people to risk their lives for their pets, would you do the same?

I think the bottom line is that neither of the people involved realised the danger. And how many times have people died because they didn't realise the danger of the situation they were about to get involved in?
I wouldn't knowingly risk my life for a pet, but it isn't inconceivable that I could one day be called on to make a snap decision in a similar situation and make a bad choice.
I think its a tragic mis-calculation by both of the parents rather than anything else.

**Iccz** · 11-05-2009, 1:11 PM

When we had our pet dog we used to take it for walks by the river, never used to let it off the lead while in the part with the river cause we knew he'd jump in, we'd wait til we got through the gate into the larger field with no rivers in and let him off the lead to throw his ball around.

I'm not a very strong swimmer either so no i'd not even try myself.

FZR400RRSP · 11-05-2009, 1:12 PM

I really hope more detail comes out.
Because I'm having severe difficulty getting my head around a woman leaving a baby alone beside a river......

I wouldn't want my wife to do that, ever.
If I was stupid enough to jump into a swollen river, I sure as hell wouldn't want her leaving my daughter/s alone to try and save me.

JohnG · 11-05-2009, 1:22 PM

People should know by now that it's best not to do anything as there are always a few cases like this every year. Quite often the dog escapes for itself whilst the owner has drowned.

FZR400RRSP · 11-05-2009, 1:25 PM

How long was the poor baby left itself before someone found it??

WillieCocker · 11-05-2009, 1:28 PM

No i wouldn't.
How many dogs jump into save people drowning, nowadays?

xit2050 · 11-05-2009, 1:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WillieCocker

How many dogs jump into save people drowning, nowadays?

It has all been going downhill ever since Lassie's gone.

Naaktgeboren · 11-05-2009, 1:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xit2050

It has all been going downhill ever since Lassie's gone.

# There's a voice that keeps on calling me.
Down the road. That's where I'll always beeeeeeee#

FZR400RRSP · 11-05-2009, 1:41 PM

Every year, seemingly, we see film of Canadian firemen rescuing a Moose from a frozen lake.
That's mental.
Just 100% mental.
Potentially not going home to your family, over a Moose.....
I swear to god, these people need a slap.

Ed Selley · 11-05-2009, 1:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bowfer

Every year, seemingly, we see film of Canadian firemen rescuing a Moose from a frozen lake.
That's mental.
Just 100% mental.
Potentially not going home to your family, over a Moose.....
I swear to god, these people need a slap.

Its 100% Pre-emptive. The Firemen do it as they have specialist gear and training. In doing so, they ensure that Joe Public doesn't try it equipped only with a couple of sticks- in other words, the firemen are likely to get called out to rescue something.

They could get the army in to hose the moose down with machine gun fire and hope it sinks to the bottom of the lake but as the Canadians seem rarely disposed to psychotic tendancies, they go with the firemen.

*Wild Weasel* · 11-05-2009, 1:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bowfer

Every year, seemingly, we see film of Canadian firemen rescuing a Moose from a frozen lake.
That's mental.
Just 100% mental.
Potentially not going home to your family, over a Moose.....
I swear to god, these people need a slap.

That's harsh. So she was ugly; Doesn't mean they shouldn't try to save her.

FZR400RRSP · 11-05-2009, 1:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ed Selley

They could get the army in to hose the moose down with machine gun fire and hope it sinks to the bottom of the lake but as the Canadians seem rarely disposed to psychotic tendancies, they go with the firemen.

Ha!
The same firemen probably spend summer weekends hunting the things.
Leave it to drown and they get it fresh and frozen.

jay mc · 11-05-2009, 2:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bowfer

Every year, seemingly, we see film of Canadian firemen rescuing a Moose from a frozen lake.
That's mental.
Just 100% mental.
Potentially not going home to your family, over a Moose.....
I swear to god, these people need a slap.

Some people simply care about animals, that is not mental or stupid or any other word you could through at them. Yes some people should seek the help of those better qulified to help in some cases as at least they have still done somthing to help.(not the rspca though, another very sad story). When we have got rid of all wildlife because of over population and greed the world will be a much sader place.

johntheexpat · 11-05-2009, 2:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ed Selley

...
They could get the army in to hose the moose down with machine gun fire and hope it sinks to the bottom of the lake but as the Canadians seem rarely disposed to psychotic tendancies, .........

...except when it comes to seal pups? But thats off topic and another subject altogether.

sianba · 11-05-2009, 3:24 PM

The way i read the story is, the dog got in trouble the woman who knew the child was in safe hands with her dad and thought the river was not at risk to her jumped in, then got in trouble husband panicked because the woman he loves is struggling and could die, at this point no one no's what goes through your head and in his case he went on auto pilot and jumped in to safe her with out thinking of any think else then the worse case happened both died.

I dont think this is irresponsible of the parents just a situation that badly went wrong, if the dog was in rapids and waves 1 meter high then yes you stupid to jump in but far as we know water not that bad dog not that much in trouble risk factor not that high, but bang out of the blue something went drastically wrong.

Si

FZR400RRSP · 11-05-2009, 3:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sianba

I dont think this is irresponsible of the parents just a situation that badly went wrong,

I do, 100%.
I can't imagine a scenario where I would be willing to leave my 6-month old completely unattended.
Simple as that.
Even if I were watching my wife in difficulty, my mind would be 100% focussed on "I can't leave my baby here alone".

Hulligan · 11-05-2009, 3:53 PM

You cant like/love your wife very much if you'd be willing to just sit there and let her die right infront of your eyes.

Surely she isnt that bad?