Parenting an Animal
Being an animal caregiver is an immense responsibility so we at PAHS urge you to thoroughly consider the time, energy, consideration, and money it takes to care for all kinds of pets – cats, dogs, hamsters, mice, rats, rabbits, birds, reptiles, fish, etc. – during their entire lifetime.
In addition to the important reminders from the local shelter, Palo Alto Animal Services, PAHS recommends the review and understanding of the following points prior to adopting an animal.
- Adopting an animal companion and being a pet parent takes immense love, responsibility, time, consistency, and self-discipline.
- Take time to consider the lifetime of care and responsibility required before adopting (for many animals, that translates to between 12 and 18 years).
- Animals are valuable, sentient, thinking beings who require love, affection, play, and quiet every single day.
- Animals are “subjects” and individuals and not “objects” or “its”.
- Animals are sensitive to their environment and to how they are treated. Animals have memory and require mindful, gentle, sensitive parenting.
- Animals require safe and adequate shelter, healthy food, play and exercise, and fresh water every single day.
- Adopting an animal companion and being a pet parent is healing to both the animal and the person. Studies have shown that blood pressure decreases and happiness increases. See this link.
Animals bring immense love and joy to a family. There is little better than being a pet parent, especially in these times of over-breeding, animal overpopulations causing excessive euthanasias (2 to 4 million annually), as well as the downed economy where owners are surrendering their pets at substantially increased levels. However, this does not decrease the importance of the points mentioned above.
Full understanding of the responsibilities combined with a full appreciation for the joys awaiting you provide the perfect recipe for a conscientious & loving home
.