Mark Buehrle, a dogs best friend

[easysurfer]

"Dogs are individuals as people are. People are responsible for providing for their welfare, their safety and the safety of those around them. Slater depends on Jamie and Mark and their children and other dogs, and he's part of the family. He even does 'community service.' It's very impressive that Mark and Jamie put their family and compassion first, and they should be emulated. It doesn't matter how much or how little money someone has."

Outlawed pit bull will keep Mark Buehrle away from his family - ESPN

p.s. Doesn't Mark look like his dog Slater in the picture?

 

[Sarah in SC]

Nice story about this family, easy. Thanks for sharing it. Good to read about folks like them being role models.

 

[ziggy29]

Good for him. I know some people have very little choice in the matter because of their circumstances, but I would never live anywhere that required me to surrender my pets.

 

[utrecht]

I don't understand this at all. The beloved dog is banned from Ontario. He has 3 choices.
1) Live in Niagra Falls with his family and dogs and commute 90 mins to work.
2) Live in Toronto with his family but leave the dog with a friend
3) Live in Toronto and leave his entire family including the beloved dog in St. Louis.

He chooses option 3? He doesn't have his dog OR his family now. Makes no sense to me.

 

[easysurfer]

I don't understand this at all. The beloved dog is banned from Ontario. He has 3 choices.
1) Live in Niagra Falls with his family and dogs and commute 90 mins to work.
2) Live in Toronto with his family but leave the dog with a friend
3) Live in Toronto and leave his entire family including the beloved dog in St. Louis.

He chooses option 3? He doesn't have his dog OR his family now. Makes no sense to me.

My take is that option #3 has the less impact on his dog and family.

For him, the biggest impact is that on the off days when he's not playing ball, his family is farther away. Hope he has a large monitor and fast internet connection so he can Skype with his family and Slater.

 

[Mulligan]

My take is that option #3 has the less impact on his dog and family.

For him, the biggest impact is that on the off days when he's not playing ball, his family is farther away. Hope he has a large monitor and fast internet connection so he can Skype with his family and Slater.

That is my take, as article was more about the dog, and obviously more is at play. They are very comfortable in St. Louis area, always having a residence there from what I have read locally. Buffalo option would not satisfy anyone as wife and kids would be on their own half the year, as would they in Toronto, also. They have the financial means to fly and visit dad anytime they want. I am sure being with family and friends when husband is gone is a nice source of comfort, that factored immensely into decision.

 

[ziggy29]

Hope he has a large monitor and fast internet connection so he can Skype with his family and Slater.

I'm pretty sure he can afford it.

 

[Accidental Retiree]

Good for him. I know some people have very little choice in the matter because of their circumstances, but I would never live anywhere that required me to surrender my pets.

+1000!

 

[haha]

I had a Stafforshire Bull Terrier, a smaller and IMO better behaved dog than any Am Staff pure bred or mix. He was a pretty good dog, and the kids loved him, but of all the dogs I had he brought up the rear on overall satisfaction.

If anyone tried to move into my building with any pitbull I would try to blackball him/her. (In fact, I think these dogs are almost always owned by men.)

I also think this guy Buehrle is nuts. Unless there is very strong social support and pressure, geographically split up couples and families do not do well statistically. Plenty of responsible people would be happy to take this dog, especially given his current owners, and the family would be spared this heavy stress and materially increased bust-up chances.

I always loved my dogs, but I never confused them with people.


Plus, don't these people care about sex?

Ha

 

[utrecht]

Good for him. I know some people have very little choice in the matter because of their circumstances, but I would never live anywhere that required me to surrender my pets.

Except that he IS living somewhere that required him to surrender his pet and now he surrendered his family for at least a year also. Seems pretty stupid to me. Why not just surrender his dog for a year?

 

[ziggy29]

Except that he IS living somewhere that required him to surrender his pet and now he surrendered his family for at least a year also. Seems pretty stupid to me. Why not just surrender his dog for a year?

I'm glad you know their family situation so well that you know what's best for them more than they do.

The dogs still have his wife and kids. I don't consider that "surrendering your pets".

 

[Midpack]

Except that he IS living somewhere that required him to surrender his pet and now he surrendered his family for at least a year also. Seems pretty stupid to me. Why not just surrender his dog for a year?

I'm glad you know their family situation so well that you know what's best for them more than they do.

The dogs still have his wife and kids. I don't consider that "surrendering your pets".

+1.

Anyone who's never lived with a family dog may not understand. Having had 4 dogs in our lives, I completely understand and admire Mark Buehrle's choices all considered.

"I remember being at school and somebody's dog would pass away and I would say: What's the big deal? It's just a dog," he says. "But now that I own these dogs, I know it's going to be terrible when one of them passes away. It's like having another kid. They cuddle with you in bed. They're your buddies. They follow you around, and you play catch with them with the ball all the time. You really bond with them."

 

[bltkmt]

I am now a big fan of this guy...bravo. Plus, I am amazed that his other 3 are all Vizslas...those dogs are HIGH energy and more than slightly nuts.

 

[utrecht]

I'm glad you know their family situation so well that you know what's best for them more than they do.

The dogs still have his wife and kids. I don't consider that "surrendering your pets".

I don't know what's best for him. I just think the whole story about him being so loyal to his dog is dumb. The guy is a professional baseball pitcher who is very good and had offers from multiple teams. He could've chosen a team where he could take his dog with him, but he chose Toronto. I don't know why he chose Toronto but whatever the reason was, he must've felt more strongly about it than he did about his dog and / or family.

 

[Sarah in SC]

Warning: I know nothing about sports. But, having read the linked story, it seemed that he did not choose the team, but was traded while under contract to another team.

I think he is awesome, and I imagine so does his family and his dogs!

 

[Mulligan]

Warning: I know nothing about sports. But, having read the linked story, it seemed that he did not choose the team, but was traded while under contract to another team.

I think he is awesome, and I imagine so does his family and his dogs!

No, you are correct. He got traded, amongst others, on a salary dump by owner after the owner got the local community to build him a new stadium.
Mark was not happy about this at all, as he felt he was lied to. But then again all the baseball fans in Miami probably feel the same way.

 

[utrecht]

OK, then. I take back most of what I said, but still think its better to be with your family and not your dog rather than be without your family and your dog. Shouldn't he be more worried about his kids missing him than his dog missing him?

 

[Sarah in SC]

Again, from the story, I think it was that his family already had a home base there in St. Louis and a support system in place, plus the economic reality of being able to fly them up to see him whenever they wanted. Plus, the story gave he and his wife the opportunity to highlight an issue that is clearly near and dear to them, the discrimination against these types of dogs.

Mulligan, thanks for clarifying--my sports knowledge is pretty limited, thank goodness!

 

[Mulligan]

Again, from the story, I think it was that his family already had a home base there in St. Louis and a support system in place, plus the economic reality of being able to fly them up to see him whenever they wanted. Plus, the story gave he and his wife the opportunity to highlight an issue that is clearly near and dear to them, the discrimination against these types of dogs.

Mulligan, thanks for clarifying--my sports knowledge is pretty limited, thank goodness!

I also agree the living arrangements, are a nonissue. Their lives are different than ours. It's not like he will rent a one bedroom room from a retired senior citizen couple trying to make a little more scratch. I bet more than likely on the one and two week home stands, they will be up there visiting in a place that can accommodate them all. I would imagine the wifey, is long passed the star gazing glamour of baseball travel, and would not be real happy living in a foreign country by herself and two kids half the season anyways.

 

[ziggy29]

OK, then. I take back most of what I said, but still think its better to be with your family and not your dog rather than be without your family and your dog. Shouldn't he be more worried about his kids missing him than his dog missing him?

Making eight figures a year, his family could spontaneously charter a private jet and fly to visit him whenever they missed him badly and put the "illegal" dog in a kennel or with friends for a few days at a time. We don't have to understand other people's judgment calls; it doesn't make anyone stupid, it means they just have different values than you do. I strongly suspect this is a decision they made together as a family, and perhaps the kids didn't want to have to give up the dog for a year or more. They're already used to Dad being away from an extended period of time, and taking a dog away would further detract from what little normalcy they have as a family.

And let's not forget that he's financially set for life. When he's 40 or so and his baseball career is over, they'll be entirely FI and set to be able to do whatever they want as a family for the rest of his life.