Week 3, Day 4

About responsible pet ownership...

I don't know about the rest of you, but I was surprised at the reasons some people gave in surrendering their pets. I guess I just have a hard time imagining that. But onto what responsible pet ownership is.

I spoke with a staff member who had just brought in a litter of young puppies to put in kennels. There were about 10 puppies in all. I watched as she separated the boys from the girls. When she was finished, I spoke with her a couple of minutes about the class. When asked what she thought being a responsible pet owner entailed, she answered without hesitation, "Spay or neuter your pets." I can't say I was surprised at her response.

There was a family visiting the shelter and I approached them and asked them the same question. A teenage girl in the group responded, "To love it no matter what all of the time." I completely agree with both of them. I know the visitor's response is a blanket statement, but isn't loving them the point? When you have a child, you don't stop loving them even when they make mistakes. Those people who have children that were not planned don't give them up saying, "We didn't think this through." Granted, pets are not people, but I believe that many people go into pet ownership too lightly. It is not given the consideration it deserves.

My example of responsible pet ownership is our own lovely dog, Maggie (a.k.a. Neurosis). Don't get me wrong, we love her dearly. She is a good dog, but she has come with her challenges. First off, we got her too young. She was only seven weeks old. We bought her from a reputable breeder who said we would all be fine. Had we known dog behavior like we do now, we would have known to leave her with her mother a few more weeks. Everything about her is hyper-sensitive. She started sprouting gray hair before she was three. If you could see the underside of her muzzle, you would see that it is almost completely gray. She has separation anxiety, requires an expensive diet, get chronic diarrhea at the drop of a hat, and is afraid of the dark. She takes forever to warm up to strangers. There are only two other people outside of our family that she would let into our yard. We have an invisible fence and she stays in it, but if she is outside, we have to constantly be on guard so that no one unexpected comes into her domain for fear of her biting them.

But she is fiercely loyal and is my daughter's best friend. You'll never get a better reception when you come home that you get from her. (Just don't be behind her if my husband comes home...her tail is killer!). She loves to chase after her tennis balls and is always up for a walk. She loves to be near her pack and frequently just comes in to say hi to me when I'm working or just lay on the floor close by. We all love her very much and can't imagine her not being our pet. She is more than just an animal, she's a member of our family. There are many reasons we could list why we shouldn't have kept her, but she's our responsibility. We love her, even if she is nuts!

Our Maggie

Happy shooting!