Great. I can donate so that the dog can be exploited for the grand american sports machine even more? No thanks.

Was Andy neutered?  At what age was the surgery done?

Some people are just haters I guess?  We don't recieve money for this sport. It is something that the dogs love to do, come out to an event and watcch how the dogs love doing it!  I am not twisting anyones arm to help out.  Somehow, someway  Andy will have his first of 2 surgery's next week!  He may never compete again, but we want him to have as normal a life as we can now give him!

Not a hater, but an animal lover. I wish no harm or pain to animals. They are the purest form of life, and we should respect that.

Horse diving used to be a great attraction, until horses began getting killed. But...

"But the diving horses will never come back. It was an act with significant dangers, and many riders, Sonora Carver in particular, suffered quite severe injuries. The horses seemed to enjoy it greatly, but the animal protection societies would never permit such an act again. It has vanished into the bitter-sweet mists of memory, but there are still many thousands of people who will carry with them all their lives the thrilling and spectacular memory of the Diving Horses of Atlantic City...
Susan MacDonald "

Animals, especially dogs, enjoy pleasing us as their pack leaders. We should not take advantage of this in anyway.

I wish the best for your animal.

Does Andy live in Tehachapi,?   Because as you probably already know we have so many orphaned dogs here in Tehachapi that need help,

Yes I know, that is a very big problem everywhere. Peopel need to start getting their pets spayed & nudered. The county can't keep up with all the strays! I myself have found homes for an unknown number of stray dogs, when my friends see me coming with a strange dog they run ;)

By the way, these dogs "Dive" off a two (2) foot high dock, thats 24 inches above the water. I know of and have heard of no dogs getting hurt "diving" into the water from 2 feet!

"Andy's surgery + 4 weeks hospital and phyiscal therapy is going to cost low # $13,000 to a high # of $15,000." 

Do you know how many dogs this amount would spay/neuter?  Or how much this would help getting an animal shelter in Tehachapi?  To spend this much on a dog is ridiculous and immature.  He may be "your kid" right now but the line has to be drawn somewhere. Think of all the thousands of dollars you have already spent on him with the purchase of him, his training and driving all over for competitions, entry fees, hotel rooms etc. so he can jump off a dock.  It may be fun but other dogs are euthanized because there is no one to help them.

So I should just kill him after he has given me so much?  Would you do that to your "child"?  Is that mature on your part.  Why do I owe everything I have to the shelter and you owe them nothing?  How much do you spend at the local shelter every year?  How many of the homeless dogs have you found homes for?  Have you taken in any of the dogs?  How much do you spend on your skate boards? You are just a hater who has nothing to offer!  Why would you even respond to this blog?  You need to take care of your own life!    

 

 I feel for you joe.  This is a tough situation to be in. When you don't have kids your dog becomes your family and your kids.  I too had to make a decsion like this.  Many years ago  I couldn't afford the $7500 for surgery for a badly broken pelvis in my blue tick hound..  But I could not  afford or justify spending that much money on a dog. I didn't mean to sound harsh but there are so many dogs out there. And I will answer your questions.  No, I would not do that to my child, but a dog is not a child. If you  have children you will understand what I mean when you hold them in your arms. Last year I donated $325 to the THS.  I have found homes for over a dozen unwanted or homeless dogs and cats, and one very skinny neglected horse. I don't ride a skateboard.  I'm not a hater.  I'm someone who has a few more yrs of experience in life than you do. When family members die I ask for donations to the humane society instead of flowers. In my trust I left the humanes society $1000. What ever decsion you make you will remember it the rest of your life. Life's decsions are like opinions.  Everybody has one. This is a emotional rollie coaster right now.  Good luck and I hope the best for you.

What a double-edged blade. I would spend whatever amount it would take to save one of my 4-legged kids without a second thought just as I would for any one of my children/g'children. On the other side, how are those high costs justified? Don't vets become vets anymore for the love of animals?

Joe, in a perfect world I'd be a lottery winner who would donate the costs for Andy...but it's not, and I haven't won it...yet.

Best of luck to you and Andy...keep us posted, will ya?

A dog is the only animal on earth that will love you more than he loves himself. Josh Billing

Thank you Joty, we need more people like you who care and understand. Too many sour people out there. Andy will undergo his first surgery next week. His second and final surgery will take pplace in late March.  We have raised half the amount needed already.  And no, it wouldn't be a  perfect  world if you won the lottery, it would be if I won it  ;)  

You know I am sitting here reading everyones opinions, and everyone is entitled to there opinions. However, that means so am I. As a proud owner of Andy, I took a responsibilty to give him the best life possible. That is what a responsible dog owner does. I have the choice to sell all the things I own to raise this money, which I have been doing this whole week. Therefore, the majority of the money that has been raised has been competely on my own hard  work and dedication. I do have some wonderful people who are also being supportive as well. There is absolutley nothing wrong with that. It is not my fault that there is a pet overpopulation. Andy is not responsible for that. Your basically saying to me I should sacrifice my dog, because other people can't be responsible pet owners. Now that is totally retarded. Yes I said it, retarded. I am very supportive of animals that are not my own, however now I am in a situation where I need help too and am personally offened you would even think I should jeopardize my own dog, my responsiblity, because some one else can't take responsibe care of there own animals.

On a side note, thank to all who have come out and shopped at the yard sale. Also thank you for the donations that have been made. It is nice to see there are still some loving caring people in this world. Thank You!

Team Andy...

So, anon, where would you draw the line? How much is too much to pay to save a pet? I look forward to your answer, because you clearly are an expert on the monetary value of intangible emotions a beloved pet brings his or her owner. You know, the emotions no one else, except apparently you, can experience to their fullest extent aside from the subject of such emotions? You brag about donating to the Humane Society, and perhaps the gods will bless you for that. But here's the thing, anon; who cares? The next time you fork over hundreds, perhaps thousands of dollars to fix your car, I want you to look at all the people you see riding the bus to their minimum-wage jobs, then back to their ghetto. Granted, your car has brought you endless days of laughter and comfort and you love it just like you would love a pet, or a child, how can you live with yourself? Spending money to sustain the happiness that car brought you while ignoring all the others who don't have personal transportation? Please, help me understand, because I cannot comprehend your logic. And that's not because you have lived longer than I, it's because there are so many fallacies in your argument, I don't even know where to start. What you and so many other people don't get is it's not about Andy. It's about the people he brings joy to. It's about the people who love him, just like your value in life will be judged by the people who love you. Shame on you for critiziing others because they don't love the same things you do. And, the good thing about money is it it kind of does grow on trees. If Team Andy loses all its money and is broke for a while, there will always be ways to get some more. Viva America. Hypocrite.

BRAVO Tangled, thank you----to each their own! Some other people just have too much time on their hands.