Your Pet Is A Lifetime Commitment. Remember That Before You Adopt One

Recently I was going through my news feed and I came across an article that is based in Wisconsin.  It was a story about a dog that was tied to a hydrant, with a sign around her neck, along with a backpack, dog treats and toys.  The note stated that the dogs owner could no longer take care of her. You can read the rest of the article HERE.  As some of you know, I am a big animal lover and a few months ago I lost my cat Apollo after 12 years of companionship.  So this hit me in the heart.

During the pandemic, a lot of people adopted pets from local shelters since they were home so much.  Unfortunately, many of those pets were actually returned to the shelters because people went back to work, and claimed they were not able to "take care of their pets".  This is truly a shame.  Pets enrich our lives.  Ask anyone who is a longtime pet owner, and they will say the same.  They become part of our family and the loss of one, for any reason can be as traumatic as losing a child or a loved one.

In honor of full disclosure, one time in my life, we had a husky mix that we adopted.  Nothing wrong with this dog.  My mother took him to obedience training and he was great.  During the time we had him, my parents began to go through a divorce and we had the two dogs, including a whippet that we had for a longer period of time.  My mother could not afford both, so we surrendered our husky mix to a shelter.  He was adopted quickly, but we cried for a while.  This was the only time we have ever given a pet away, and we made a pact as a family to never do that again.  Period.  We would figure out a way to afford to give our pets the best life we could.

There are quite of lot of options if you are still uncertain about getting a pet.  You could foster one for a while, to see if they will adjust to you, and if you can financially and emotionally afford to.  If you plan on moving, you need to find a place that takes pets.  That is what I did.  It may limit your choices, but you made a lifetime commitment to your pet. I am sure they may become a circumstance where you have no choice but to surrender your pet.  See if a friend or family member can take them.  Let the shelter be a last resort.

The dog in the photo was picked up by an animal shelter and hopefully will find a new home.  Pets can sense when their owners are not coming back.  Trust me. What happened to this dog is sad, and should never happen.

If you want to adopt a pet, make sure you are ready emotionally and financially to take them on for their lifetime.  You can click HERE for a link to the Sedalia Animal Shelter to see what pets are available.  If you are more of a cat person, there is a place in Columbia that may be nice to check out.  Papa's Cat Cafe.  Adopt, don't shop!