Pets as Part of the Family

In a recent AP Poll half of American pet owners think of their pets as being part of the family. As an animal lover this is encouraging news.

Pet ownership has evolved over the years. When I was growing up there wasn't crate training. There wasn't an emphasis on good health care for pets. There weren't healthy options for treats and food. Training a dog was rare.

I hope that along with the trend of considering a pet to be part of the family comes education. It's essential to realize the responsibility in having a pet (or two or three or more). It's important to learn about animal welfare such as stopping over population by having a pet fixed. Adopting a pet from a shelter or rescue helps save lives. Learning effective training methods is also important.

We certainly consider Beacon and Haven to be part of our family. They're spoiled and take part in things that we do whenever possible. Friends of ours are currently trying to raise money for canine cancer research. They lost one of their family members a little over a year ago to hemangiosarcoma. Lisa and Matt are raising money to go toward research for this type of cancer in dogs. Even if you're not able to donate even a small amount at least read Eddie's story and give your pets an extra hug. They're part of your family afterall.