At some point in time, most people will want to get a family pet or perhaps two to complete the picture. It seems for most households that the family is just not complete without the pets. There are however a number of issues that should be considered before you do adopt a pet however.
Most people want a full breed whether it’s an Alaskan Husky, or a Tea Cup Poodle, and that’s fine. You should know however that a dog isn’t more lovable because it’s a full blooded whatever. A dog learns to love based on the treatment it is given by those who take ownership of it.
Let’s take a look at the Pit Bull Terrier situation that seems to be running wild these days. Those dogs are doing what they were TAUGHT to do by their owners. There’s a common misconception that all Pit Bull Terriers are born ready to kill or maim any person or animal that is around them and that’s simply not the case. They act the way they do because someone took the time to teach them to do that and so the dogs think that it’s the normal way of life.
Don’t get me wrong. Any animal that is put into a situation where it is made to be fearful of its surroundings is liable to snap at anyone if it feels threatened and this unfortunately includes children, but the thing is, the dog doesn’t know any better. In his eyes he’s doing what he was taught to do, or he believes that he is protecting himself. It’s not his fault people have so little regard for life that they think it’s OK to teach a dog to fight.
OK. Let’s get back on track here. Adopting a pet, whether it’s a dog, cat or any other animal is easy to do and it is something that is highly necessary due to the fact that there are some people out there who think they can handle the responsibility of owning a pet, but they simply can’t for whatever reason. There is also a segment of the population who fail to have pets spayed or neutered and then allow them to simply run. This of course results in unwanted puppies.
What this does in effect, is to overburden the local animal shelters, who work desperately to find home for these sweet but unwanted animals and it’s sad to see it like this. There are literally tens of thousands of pets looking for a place to call home and some people to love across the United States, yet we as a nation continue to look to the puppy mills when we feel we are ready for a pet. Sure, the pets in most cases, though not all, are going to be mixed breed animals, but why is it necessary to have a set of papers telling you what the dog is?
There is no cost to adopt a pet, though to help to offset costs the shelter will typically charge a flat rate that is intended to cover the cost of spaying or neutering the pet and for the shots it was given to keep it healthy.
So the next time you are looking for a pet, why don’t you at least consider adopting your next pet from the local animal shelter near you. For Brooklyn Park residents, you’ll find that the Anne Arundel County Animal Shelter is ready to assist you in finding the perfect pet for your home. You can find them at 1815 Bay Ridge Avenue Annapolis, MD 21403 or you can visit their website at http://www.aacspca.org . They are closed on Monday’s and other business hours can be found by clicking the information link from the main website.
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