I Bought My Best Friend

For some people, they don't understand the special bond that many people have with their pets. It's how real their dedication is to you and the joy when you get home from work--try finding a human with that kind of consistency. But, at the same time, we purchase and own our furry "best friends." 

I believe the way that society treats pets is a main factor in why we have so many pets that are mistreated and it's not headline news--that we can just kill animals because there's just too many without any remorse, but refuse to eat a hamburger because your against eating meat. Why aren't we upset about about these animals (an unknown number to me) being killed for no reason? At least the cow was killed to feed someone. 

This is what the pet industry is about--money and convenience. It has nothing to do with the lovable animal that you promised to love. Would you move and not take your child with you? Animals have a shorter life than children and are far cheaper, but since they are pets, they are traded and discarded without a second thought. And if they aren't raised well (by someone that couldn't care less) they end up practically unadoptable by most people's standards. And why? Because a family was too lazy to teach them basic manners--bet people would be up in arms if a child acted as badly as some animals. 

As much as I hope "paying" for my best friend means that the money goes towards helping animals, it will not go far if people do not take pet "ownership" seriously. 

Right now, I do not hold any cards in the shelter business, but I would like to volunteer in shelters and train dogs to make them seem more appealing. I want to teach people simple ways to make their dogs behave better. I'd like to show anyone going to adopt a dog or that refuses to spay/neuter dog the sad/scared eyes of the overpopulated shelters. Don't send this new family member back there and don't take a chance that a new generation will struggle to stay alive because there's no one to adopt them. Maybe seeing this for themselves will open their eyes--or maybe it won't 

There's nothing wrong with purebreds. There's something wrong with taking a chance for puppies when you aren't taking care of them yourself or have people to adopt them out to... Meaning they will most likely end up either strays or surrendered if not adopted out. 

For me, Cash is one of the sweetest dogs that I have ever met. And raising Thornwald taught me a lot. It's not about whether or not they were breed to be a certain temperament or if they were adopted as from a shelter, it's how you treat them and appreciate the love that they will almost always give to you. 

Our problem is how we think about pets rather than pets being the problem. Think about it.