Fur Kids, or pets as some call them

I found out that my dog A) may have cancer B) has an enlarged heart
And I am devastated to say the least...........
We are ruling things out one by one on the heart issue, no ringworm, no heart murmur or arrythmia. Which is all good news,dont get me wrong. But I am still totally stressed by this, I cant imagine how I would handle it if she passed away. Just knowing somethings wrong is wearing me down with worry. I pray and pray and then pray some more.
Going through this makes me think all the more about the people who have pets and abuse them, leave them in the yard 24/7, dump them at a pound knowing they will probably be euthinized, or worse move and just leave them in the yard tied to a tree !
Why get a pet if you think an animal deserves to be treated this way ? Do you treat your kids that way ? In my opinion, you probably do.
We have so many laws about caring for children, and laws to protect them. Why arent we doing the same for domesticated animals ?
I know in most states more laws are being put in place to shut down puppy mills and to stop dog fighting. But we need more than that, we need to make sure that pet owners are held accountable for any animal they own. That cute little puppy didnt ask you to adopt him, you made that choice. So later on when he's not that cute, or he's more work than you thought. Then its you that should handle finding it a new home. Not dumping it at the pound where its going to die because hundreds of other selfish people like yourself have dumped their pets.
Or how about this, dont get a pet in the first place ! If your not going to love it and be committed to its care for the next 10-15 years, DONT GET ONE !