Quote Originally Posted by Irulan View Post
I think it's way more mature to realize that you no longer have the resources to do it all ( ie, take care of a pet and everything else) than to keep it and ignore it. Granted, turning it over to a shelter seems heartless, but is it more or less heartless to toss a dog that you don't have time for out in the yard or put it on a chain, where it can bark all day out of frustration and neglect, and then destroy things when it has the chance for the same reasons?
I agree.

My good friend had to give up her cats, since she was moving in with her mom to save money (and her mom is allergic to cats). The cats, when she had them, ate better than she did--she was eating ramen for a long time so she could afford one cat's prescription food. She tried to find homes for them--one got adopted, the other (a former feral) failed the "adoptability" test at the shelter and was euthanized.