Be a Responsible Pet Owner
By The New Britain Commission on Animal Welfare at June 19, 2024 | 8:15 am | Print
One of the most rewarding things you can do is share your life with a pet. Whether it’s a cat or dog, or another type of companion animal, we can agree that they make life more enjoyable. There are things to think about, however, when deciding to add a pet to your family. The most important: being a responsible pet owner and what that means. City pounds and animal shelters are full of unwanted animals because people weren’t responsible. Perhaps they didn’t think that a pet is a lifetime commitment? Maybe they didn’t get their animal spayed or neutered and had an unwanted litter? Or maybe the animal had a medical problem that the owner could not or did not want to pay for. Whatever the reason, humans failed these animals. It is time to create a responsible pet ownership community and it starts with us.
According to the National Canine Research Council acceptable pet ownership behavior includes licensing and providing permanent identification for pets: this can include a tag that they wear all the time on their collar with your current address and phone number, and even better—a microchip; spaying and neutering; providing training and socialization, providing a proper diet; providing adequate medical care—both routine and emergency; adopting your pet ethically from a credible source—do not buy from pet stores or backyard breeders; and never, ever let you pet become a menace or a threat to the community—whether it’s toward people of other animals.
Being responsible starts with you! Be part of the solution. Think about the commitment (which nowadays is up to twenty years) and ask yourself if you have the time, the money, the devotion, and the ability to follow responsible pet ownership guidelines that would allow you to adopt a new family member and provide for all of his needs. Together, we can build a community of animal lovers who care, love, and take responsibility for their cats and dogs and work toward elimination homelessness, strays, and unwanted and accidental litters of puppies and kittens.
