What level of risk would you assume for a pet?

To me, it is a matter of priorities. I would do what I could to save a pet, but not at the possible expense of my own life.

When you own life becomes at risk it's time to give up. What upsets me is when shelters refuse to take in pets and force people to abandon them. I think the Katrina disaster has made us take a new look at this policy and reforms for the better have been the result. There was a flood evacuation in my area last spring, and as part of the warning people where told to bring their pets in carriers and crates. The local fire department set up a separate area for the animals in a garage near the people shelter. It was deemed very successful because a number of people said they might not have left if they had to leave their pets behind. When I heard about this I donated a couple of old dog crates I no longer use so the fire department can keep them on hand for people who don't have crates of their own.

That's nice Green Witch - and a great idea.

I have almost wrecked my car trying to avoid a raccoon. It was instinctive - didn't think twice - I just wanted to miss it. I love my dogs, I can't imagine what I would do if their lives were in danger and I had to put myself in some kind of harms way...I don't think I would, but then I did that fish-tail, swervy thing over a raccoon....really just not sure.

I've done that for large blowing leaves. I don't see very well.

I agree you never indeed can know for sure what you would do or not do for a pet.

I would assume that a parent with obligations to children or anyone with a similar level of obligations would be and should be far less likely to place themselves at risk for a pet.

For myself without such obligations and after finding the long lasting emotional price to be paid for not acting, I would be incline to go fairly far into harm way for my silly and worthless cats if a situation seem to call for it in the future.

Thanks for your replies.

That's exactly how I feel. If I had no immediate family, I'd probably be willing to risk a lot for my animals (well not the fish).

On September 12, 2001, I spent part of the evening online looking for a gas mask for my cat, Mikey. Couldn't find one.

I remember very distinctly thinking, "Well, if he goes, I go."

I make no claims to sanity. Just tellin' ya what happened.

I would do anything.

It's hard to know exactly what I'd do, for certain, until such a situation arose. But I strongly suspect that instinctively I'd do everything I could to rescue my pet/s from danger. My pets have always been very important to me, since I was a very small child. I think I'd find it very hard to live with myself if I didn't do all I could to prevent potential injury or death. And, like mismi, I instinctively swerve to avoid contact with birds, animals, any living creature, when driving. Some of us just seem to be wired that way, I guess ...

I just came back from the ER after getting one tetanus shot, one rabies vaccine shot, and five rabies immunoglobin shots. I will have to go back for more rabies vaccine five more times.

I tried to rescue a young cat that had wandered into our garage from our six dogs. Obviously, I was working on critter love and not brains. I don't think our dogs would have killed it, but it was frightened and cowering caught between some fencing and the wall. I just reached in and picked it up.

As I was trying to get to the house to get it out of the fenced-in yard, the dogs were at my feet trying to sniff at the cat in my arms. That's when the little critter bit me.

What would I risk for one of the dogs? Just about anything. <sigh> And next time I try to rescue a cat, I'm heading for the leather gloves and leather jacket.

Welcome, Always Eleven...haven't run across you before.


Oh dear, I hope you are ok.

I would also leap in, sans gauntlets, to rescue a cat.

Even after being bitten to the bone!!!

Glad to see I'm not the only one. Thanks for the welcome and the good wishes.

None. I would be willing to invest time or money, but never risk any human's well being for an animal.

Interesting answer Hawkeye10.

Have you ever form an emotional bond with a dog or cat?

Yes, had several dogs and cats over the years. I walk them, feed them, wash them, and spend a good bit of money on them. I care for them, care about them. But they are PETS.

I have a rescue lab that has been a handful, eaten a good bit of furniture. She is still with us. If she bites a human though she will be gone in a heartbeat. To the pound, even if it means certain death for her.

I might have risked myself, for Pacco. I simply don't know if that is true.

How to figure that out..
if I could get to him, I'd go for it sans consideration.

Yes, Hawk, I had a business partner that was way more versed than I in animal care, nothing at all to prove... thousands of hours into animal care..
who would also say, at the vet's, "it's a dog" and "it's a cat".

So, I get your point.

I dunno, though, I'd've run past traffic to save the Pacc.

Temporizing by saying I'd calculate the traffic.

Well, we don't know, I haven't been in that exact circumstance.

I and business partner have dived into a dog fight and dragged him out, apparently a big no no. Women of Steel.