>>With what frequency? Just because it does happen doesn't signify that it is common place or characterizes pet owners in general. Pet dumping when compared to pet surrender is rare. Far more animals will be turned in for adoption then will be dumped. Furthermore, inconvenience is rarely the case, usually pets are dumped because the pet owner can not afford to keep the pet and there is a reluctance to turn the pet over to a shelter because of the high kill rate.

You are an optimist. Having spent years in veterinary medicine and rescue work, I myself am quite cynical about the frequency and reasons for dumping. I've been there, done that, and got several t-shirts.....unfortunately.

As a semi-related aside, I've currently got a puppy that I picked up in the middle of my road two weeks ago. In fact, she just got spayed today. She's just about 12 weeks old, and at the time I found her she was about 10 weeks. Too young to travel terribly far on her own. The road I live on is 2 1/2 miles long, with not a single side street -- and she was about a mile up the road. Obviously, she had either wandered off from somebody's house on the road or had been dumped there. So I put "found puppy" signs at each and every house for about 1/2 mile in either direction and at the end of the road, I called the shelter to get on their found dog list, and I put found puppy ads in TWO newspapers. And you know what? Not a single call. Conclusion -- dumped puppy. That sort of thing happens allllll the time.

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>>Also, I have worked at multiple shelters, rehabs, and animal rescue organizations. Individuals surrendering large (14 foot burms for example) or other expensive reptiles as described by Danny was in my experience rare.

Well, large burms ARE relatively rare, for one thing. Especially depending on location.
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0.1 Peruvian rainbow boa (Amaru)
2.0 Brazilian rainbow boas (Arco, Olho)
0.3 Honduran milksnakes (Chicchan, Chanir, Hari)
1.0 Thayeri kingsnake (Coatl)
2.7 corns (Cetto, Tolosa, Uce, TBA)
1,000,000.1,000,000 other critters

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