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[LiberalAndProud]

341. You raise interesting questions. I'm not sure there are right answers.

Caring for an animal is an expensive proposition, even for the most thrifty of us. Food and vet care are required at the very least. Should society in general be ethically required to provide this care for animals when their owners fall on hard times? It seems impossible to engage in that conversation before we have even adequately addressed the most basic human needs for those who find themselves impoverished. TTW would make the argument that Yoshi is a service animal and her well being depends on him. It may be a valid argument, but it falls on deaf ears. I tend to think, perhaps callously so, that if you aren't able to provide for yourself, you can't be expected to be able to care for an animal.

I think of the heartbreak that animal hoarders endure when starved and neglected animals are removed from their home. The emotional pain is real, but I don't think that should take precedent over the well being of the animals.

We provide a modicum of care for children when their mothers find themselves in this position. We have far to go before we are ready to provide the same benefit for people with pets.

You have drawn an analogy between your books and Yoshi. The difference is, it is possible to box up the books and place them in a storage locker until such a time as you're able to retrieve them. They don't require food or medical care. They don't present a possible danger to the people who find themselves in their vicinity. And the books don't experience stress and anxiety in your absence. The reason the rescue groups don't do temporary homing is not because they want to be vindictive to the owner. It is because temporary homing is not a good outcome for the animal.

We have no way for us to know what TTW's health issues are. We don't know her history. I will say that I don't think her family is uncaring or hateful. I have had to disengage from a person who I very much love because there is no amount of help I can give them that will allow them to thrive. The cycle is endless. In my case, alcoholism is a factor, but I think there are other diseases and maladies that are equally help-resistant.

I appreciate your advocacy for TTW when general sentiment seems to be trending in the opposite direction. I think that this is a conversation that needs to begin. And why not begin it here?