“Animals are such agreeable friends – They ask no questions, They pass no criticisms.”-George Eliot
When you adopt a pet, you are henceforth responsible for that life. The animal is dependent on you for everything. It is part of your family and should be treated like a child. It is your responsibility to care for it as you would with your own child. This is the responsibility you take on when you bring an animal into your family and home.
The animal is dependent on you for all of its needs. You need to feed it properly, this means keeping it in a healthy weight range. You must make sure it has water available to drink at all times. You have to make sure its bathroom needs are taken care of. Above all, you must love it and care for it. It is your responsibility to keep your animal feeling healthy, happy, and loved.
One of the worst things that I hear all of the time is that the owners keep their animals outside. A companion animal is domesticated. It can not fend for itself. You can not go buy a dog or a cat and just stick it outside. Yes, you should let it out to go to the bathroom and to exercise it; but do not just leave it be. Pay attention to your animal, keep it with you and love it.
I heard a story of a person letting their dog die because it took 45 minutes to drive to the emergency vet. That is outrageous. Would you let your mother die if she was extremely sick, but it was a long drive? Of course not, your animal is as much a part of your family as any person. I have heard that someone let their tortoise drown because it was the middle of a monsoon and no one bothered to check on it. You are responsible for your animal’s life, this is not something to be taken lightly.
As much as I want all shelter animals to be adopted, do not get a pet if you can not take care of it properly. This means if you do not have enough money or enough time to devote to your pet, do not get one. This animal is completely dependent on you – it is essentially your child. You must care for it as you would a child. All its needs must be met completely. Do not buy an animal on a whim, you are taking in a life and you must do everything in your power to take care of it.
I would drive two hours to the emergency vet if my animal needed medical attention. When you get or have an animal it is part of your family and you must keep it safe, healthy, happy, and loved. You are now responsible for an animal’s well being. Take care of your animal, part of your family, as you would any person you love in your family. That is your responsibility and you need to understand that you are responsible for a life. Give that the gravity it deserves.
