Buddy was eight years old at the time we adopted him in 2012. He is a lemon beagle; we were told he was a breeder reduction. We were also told they weren't sure if he was house trained, we knew he was shy as he wouldn't even take a treat from us when we were in a hug room with him at the Animal Rescue League. But, Buddy melted my heart when he was in his kennel and drug his bed over to the window so he could look out. About six months after we adopted Buddy, we brought home a friend for Buddy. Maya is a now two year old beagle mix. She is full of energy and has been a great companion for Buddy. During our few years of pet ownership, we have learned a few things about the process of getting a new pet, and the day to day requirements for owning a pet. I would like to pass some of those lessons along. In an effort to not create a ridiculously long post, I will keep this post limited to things you should think about before bringing home a new pet.
1. Are you ready for the commitment: Often, my husband and I will go to local shelters to look at the dogs up for adoption. Many of their stories about how they came to the shelter tear my heart apart. All too often, their sheets provide reasons for surrender as divorce, not good with kids, moving, etc. When you bring a pet into your home, they are there for life. We have moved twice with our dogs, each time there was an adjustment period, but we wouldn't dream of giving them up. Search Pinterest for moving with pets. There are lots of good articles out there about how to make moves easier on your pets and in turn, on you. Pets are a lifetime commitment. You wouldn't return a child because you are moving or they did something naughty, pets shouldn't be returned for these reasons either.
2. Set a budget: Pets cost money, period. There are the startup costs (shots, a bed, food dishes, collar, city license fee, food, etc.), and then there are ongoing costs as well. Pets need shots and an exam annually. They also need to be registered with the city you live in. I would like to say we did a strong evaluation of our budget before adopting Buddy, but we didn't. We were better prepared with Maya. Before bringing her home, we looked at our budget to make sure we knew we could afford a second dog. Like kids, pets have accidents and get hurt. It is always good to have a pet fund set up for such emergencies. Four months after we adopted Buddy, he fell off the bed and badly bruised his hip. There was an emergency vet visit, x-rays, and pain medication. We got off pretty easy with that bill and knew it could have been a lot worse. There was talk of surgery and rehab before we knew his injury was just a deep bruise.
3. Consider adoption: Each day, thousands of pets are put to sleep because they wound up in overcrowded shelters with a limited time stay. There are many local shelters who pull pets off death row and bring them into their shelter to give them a second chance at life. If you are looking for a new pet, please consider one of these organizations first: Animal Rescue League of Iowa, A Heintz57 Pet Rescue and Transport, FluffyButts Rescue Resort, Furry Friends Rescue, Panora P.E.T.S, and Hope Animal Rescue of Iowa. These are just a few local shelters, there are so many more out there. If you are in search of a specific breed, here is a link to a page that lists several local breed specific shelters.
Hopefully, this post has provided you with some valuable information. I cannot express how much love and joy a pet can bring into your life. Feel free to comment with a picture and a story of your furry friend!
Photo courtesy of petfinder.com
While this is about dogs, it applies for all pets
- N
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