Week Three, Day Four

Responsible pet ownership entails tender, love and care. The owner has to be nurturing and kind to his/her pet while providing the animal with love and also taking care of the animal’s needs, such as food and medical bills.

An anonymous shelter worker said, “Pet ownership isn’t for anyone. We get a lot of animals here because pet owners don’t realize the responsibility it takes to maintain a pet. Animals need constant care from toys to food to just playing with the animal; it can be very demanding. A responsible pet owner would recognize there is a time commitment as well as an emotional commitment that is needed to take care of any animal but these responsibilities certainly reap rewards greater than the demands. There’s nothing greater than seeing your dog’s excitement after being apart for a couple of hours; it’s the perfect welcome home gesture.”

A shelter visitor, Elizabeth from Virginia responded, “A responsible pet owner should know that you have to have the time and finances to adequately provide for the animal. Owning a pet is a responsibility and therefore no one should take on a responsibility they cannot handle. Also, particular shelter animals need extra love and attention.”

The picture that I feel best represents a responsible pet owner is my brother Luciano and Harley. My brother is thirteen years old and although Harley is the family pet, he is most definitely Luciano’s dog. Luciano loves Harley. These two are often found in Luciano’s room playing with legos. Luciano takes Harley for walks, plays with him outside after school, makes sure he always has enough water and feeds him twice a day. Luciano loves, cares and nurtures Harley; it’s quite adorable to watch.