People need to alter their mindset to viewing their pets as family members, rather than as a possession.  Pets are a lifetime commitment, much like your children are, and not like a piece of furniture that one can simply leave behind.  I will never cease to be amazed and disgusted by the reasons individuals give when trying to dump their pet at the shelter… and one of my favorites is the moving excuse.

I hear this excuse on almost a daily basis.  “I’m moving to another state and I cannot take my pet with” or “My new apartment doesn’t allow my dog(s)/cat(s) “.  Why can you not take them with you?  I adopted my cat, Loki, when I lived in San Diego and he moved to Milwaukee with me.  I adopted Monty, my dog, when I was in Milwaukee and both him and Loki moved with me to Austin.  It did take a little extra planning to make sure the hotels on the route would allow them, but it literally was an extra 30 minutes at the maximum for the effort.  Would you leave a family member behind due to an extra 30 minutes of planning?  Of course not, so please stop to consider your pet’s life and future.

And it’s your fault the apartment does not allow pets – when you were apartment searching, you should have been asking about their pet policy and making sure they allowed all your pets.  Again, if you had a child you would make sure the place you were moving appropriately accommodated him/her so why would you not put in the effort for your pet?  Your pet is not a piece of furniture that you can just decide is not worth making room or effort for in a move – this is a living being who is dependent upon you and you are responsible for their well being.  Take that extra ounce of effort and make sure your entire family can live where you are going.