Should Pet Owners be Liable for Costs Related to the Rescue of Their Animals?

by ABC News U.S. Posted 2013/03/02 12:00:00

Related Topics: Pets, Animals, Animal Rescue

5,368 votes
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	Yes	4,195 votes	78%
	No	1,173 votes	22%

German fire departments respond to more than 40,000 animal rescue calls per year -- from dogs stuck down badger holes to cows in frozen swimming pools. Now the debate has begun as to who should pay for them.

It doesn't always take a house fire for 23 firefighters in five fire trucks to be deployed. Sometimes all it takes is a cat named Murphy, who slipped while exploring the rooftops and fell down a chimney.

+11

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debrarae 2013/03/05 17:35:48

Yes

+12
My dog gets out, the Animal control has to catch it. I know full well I am liable for the $350.00 fine for my dog not being properly restrained.

It's called 'personal responsibility'. And that's something severely lacking these days.
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More polls by ABC News U.S.

Garrett King 2013/04/01 22:08:49

Yes

Most of the time except in the case of a natural disaster, but you can't charge Mother Nature!

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Macro Man 2013/03/19 22:43:25

No

If government departments choose to spend their time and resources rescuing dogs and ferrets then they should bloody pay out of their own wages or not do it at all.

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KeeganTheAwesome 2013/03/09 06:33:42

Yes

In most cases, the animal usually needs to be rescued because its owner didn't take the right precautions to prevent the animal from getting into the pickle jar. So if a rancher didn't keep his livestock fenced in properly, and one of the cows was able to take a dip in a frozen swimming pool, I think the owner should pay the rescuers.

However, there are those rare cases when the owner ISN'T at fault, such as an arsonist setting fire to a house and threatening not only the homeowner's cat, but also his neighbors' houses. The fire wasn't the homeowner's fault, and rescuing his cat was only part of the operation, so it'd be absurd to punish HIM for the arsonist's crime. In those rare cases, I make an exception.

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Masaca 2013/03/07 22:08:23

No

Nope, that's one the many services I pay taxes for, and they do too.

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Wil 2013/03/07 22:07:09

Yes

Responsibility...what's your policy?

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LeroyRogers 2013/03/07 18:33:57

Yes

+1
if you want to keep an animal, then it's your responsibility to keep up with it.

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Mike to LeroyRo... 2013/03/07 20:44:48

Tell a dog owner that. lol

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urwutuis 2013/03/07 09:38:26

No

+3
Not if they're going to send 23 people and 5 trucks to get a cat out of a chimney.

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««Gingey, the Master Debate... 2013/03/07 08:07:37

No

+1
We already are. It's called taxation.

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Dan ☮ R P ☮ 2012 ☮ 2013/03/07 07:01:31

Yes

+3
Although, not if its a public service (already paid for) or if the rescue is not charity.

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Free Spirit 2013/03/07 05:58:32

Yes

+3
If something happened, where my pet needed a rescue, I'd have no problem paying the bill. The rescuers would be helping me and my beloved furbaby.

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1philb 2013/03/07 05:41:35

Yes

+2
Pet owners should be responsible for the actions of their pets. This does not seem to work on children in our current society.

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C. C. Rider 2013/03/06 21:41:31 (edited)

No

+5
Consider it training. They are already paid, just do the job. To pay them AGAIN means we will be double billed. This is getting as bad as should be pay the cops when they have to arrest some one. DO these people not want to do their jobs. Seems so.

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william... to C. C. R... 2013/03/07 00:44:49

+1
Why do you think I should have to pay for someone's pet animal getting into trouble? I do not require that person to keep a pet animal! If one wants to keep a pet that person should be responsible for the care and feeding of the animal.

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C. C. R... to william... 2013/03/07 03:45:28

+4
What an ass of a statement. They are already paid and they can consider it training. THEM saving the animal makes for a happyending. What, you want a dept to sit around and watch the animal die when they can save it? Saving animals are already paid for.

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william... to C. C. R... 2013/03/07 04:44:14

+1
Municipalities hire Emergency responders to respond to human needs not pet animals. If we as taxpayers are paying the wages of Emergency Technicians that spend their time attending to pet animals whose owners cannot control them we are wasting tax revenues. It is as if we bought a hammer to kill flies, it is not appropriate. If there are enough Emergency Technicians just sitting around or responding to pet animal situations, perhaps we have too many of them and need to get rid of the excess manpower and lower everyone's taxes.

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C. C. R... to william... 2013/03/07 04:45:52

+2
maybe you need to realize it is free training for them. Once again they are already paid. They do not need to be paid twice.

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william... to C. C. R... 2013/03/07 05:11:31 (edited)

+1
What are you going on about? If there are so many Emergency responders available to be able to go running around the county taking care of animals, we have too many responders on the payroll, period!

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C. C. R... to william... 2013/03/07 09:43:03

+1
OMG what a ranter. Responders are not going to let owners pets die if they help it. Just is not gonna happen. And they are already paid so no double pay. Now really move on.

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william... to C. C. R... 2013/03/07 15:18:17

+1
Any time a pet owner loses control of their animal and public employees are utilized to regain control, the owner should be fined! I would suggest a minimum fine of $ 500.00 would be appropriate.

Pet owners have no automatic right to use the services that all are paying for. If they cannot be responsible for their pets they shouldn't own any!

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C. C. R... to william... 2013/03/07 15:24:15

+1
LMAO Give it up dude. You lost this argument posts ago. Pet owners should not be billed. The responders are already paid.

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william... to C. C. R... 2013/03/07 15:46:35 (edited)

+2
I have a small vegetable garden in my backyard, do you believe since there are public employees just lying around waiting to find some stray pets, I should be able to call them to come to my home and water and fertilize my garden, so I won't have to, and do it free of charge?

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Rick Armin to william... 2013/03/07 19:44:48

Keep your celery in your own damned back yard. I'm sick and tired of going out at midnight and finding your celery stalking through my garden.

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LeroyRo... to william... 2013/03/07 18:35:10

+1
this chick is lost in the ozone. maybe her house will burn down while the fire dept. is "training" on someone's cat.

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william... to LeroyRo... 2013/03/07 18:49:41

You didn't answer my question!

You obviously believe that individuals are not responsible for anything and that government should take the responsibility for everything. According to your way of thinking I should be able to sit at home and someone else should bring me meals and mow my lawn and provide me with whatever I want and all at no cost to me!

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LeroyRo... to william... 2013/03/07 18:52:42

you didn't ask me a question. i was commenting on you "conversation" with cc rider. had it out with her before, that's why i said she's lost in space. i agree with your position, as you can tell by my raves.

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knoodelhed 2013/03/06 21:14:57

Yes

On the other hand animal calls provide training and experience and there should be a policy in such cases allowing to break away for more urgent business.

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Brian Decker 2013/03/06 20:55:11

Yes

+1
Its the peoples responsibility to take care of their pets. That includes thier rescue.

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Debra Smith 2013/03/06 20:03:23
Chere 2013/03/06 19:55:13

Yes

+1
If it was negligence that caused responders to assist-then yes. Tax dollars should cover inadvertant situations.

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captain 2013/03/06 17:56:35

Yes

+2
Someone need to pay for these high saleries and rich retirement programs. And with most og America out of work or the ones that are working took a major paycut.

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LeroyRo... to captain 2013/03/07 18:37:04

+2
judging by your grammar and your spelling, you're an obama supporter.

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Mike to LeroyRo... 2013/03/07 20:45:48

Don't knock my grandmother ! LOL

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captain to LeroyRo... 2013/03/10 23:49:38

Thank you for the pointers king ding dong

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LeroyRo... to captain 2013/03/11 21:18:21

at least i can spell and punctuate.

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captain to LeroyRo... 2013/03/12 18:08:41

Last word dual eh .

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Rick Armin to captain 2013/03/07 19:48:37

+2
Don't be discouraged from expressing your opinion by grammar and spelling Nazis. We all make those mistakes. Leave it to a party hack to draw unwarranted political conclusions.

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Flowers 2013/03/06 15:56:59

No

+4
DON'T WE PAY ENOUGH FOR TAXES TO THE CITIES AND COUNTIES ALREADY?? THEY NEED TO MANAGE FUNDS BETTER, AND CUT THE DAMN SALARIES OF THE TOP OFFICIALS ALREADY.

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C. C. R... to Flowers 2013/03/06 21:42:19

+3

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lm1b2 2013/03/06 15:28:17

No

+1
Only if it can be proven it was caused by there carelessness!

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