Spay and Neuter---PLEASE

I am a dog person and in my adult life I have had a total of 8 dogs in about 35 years. I am proud to say that I never actively sought a dog, but somehow all of them have found their way into our house and heart. Right now, our 2 adoptees include a rescued Weimaraner and an adopted puppy mill mother Rottweiler. We have had a couple of stray mutts, a Great Dane, a Lab, a Brittany Spaniel, and even a clone of the most famous mutt, Benji, the list reads like a Who's Who of dogdom. If you asked me which was my favorite, I would be hard pressed to make a choice, because just like children, each had its own unique set of good traits and with the good, comes those more challenging traits.

Today, while we were out and about, we stopped at the neighborhood pet supply store to pick up a bag of dog food. As bad fortune would have it, there was a pet adoption day going on. Before I could get into the store I had to stop and pet each of the dogs in their little crates. All of them were so wanting for affection and attention that it saddened me that some would also be going home that night to foster homes and shelters. It also saddens me that most of these animals are there as the result of irresponsible pet owners and breeders. While all of these dogs and cats will be spayed or neutered prior to being adopted, we would not have so many unwanted animals if spay and neuter was a universal practice. Most people do not go into the business of getting a pet for the purpose of breeding it, so why not be SURE that you don't end up in the puppy mill business by getting your new puppy or kitty spayed or neutered as a first order of business as a new pet owner.

Responsible pet ownership involves making sure that your pet is not contributing to the unwanted pet population, but it also involves taking the time and effort to keep your pet safe, contained and healthy. Pet ownership is a win-win situation regardless of what animal you keep as a pet. Pet ownership provides families with an opportunity to teach children lessons in responsibility that they will take with them into adulthood. Provide an unwanted pet with a safe home and food and you will be rewarded with unconditional love and undying companionship. That's a better deal than you will get with most people.

If you are looking for a real friend who only wants to please you, by all means visit your local animal shelter or pet adoption day. You will be hard pressed to leave empty handed and like Lay's potato chips, you might not be able to stop with just one!

As I am writing this, our female Rottweiler is fast asleep in a sunbeam snoring contentedly (and loudly) and her best friend, our male Weimaraner, is curled up in a ball on his own place on the couch dreaming of some critter in a hole in our backyard!