Throw Away Pets?

by Chris Chaos

 Is your pet a part of your family or is it just a simple form of entertainment?

 If the animal needed to go to the vet would you foot the bill or just let it suffer? If you had to move and they did not accept animals what would you do with the animal, would you give it away? Did you get your pet just on a whim for your child?

 Do you keep your animals locked up in uncomfortable cages because they inconvenience you? Do you have the time to properly care for the animal and time to dedicate to play with them.

 Sadly many animals are abused, not in the traditional sense but in the manner that they are locked up most of the day, their owners never play with them and caring for the animal has become a burden. Many people think the idea of getting a pet is fun and never consider that sometimes it can be work and a challenge.

For a dog they do need a lot of attention and need a yard to run around in. If you keep the dog locked up in a cage and then wonder why they are extremely hyper when you let them out or if the dog is left indoors for many hours and then goes to the bathroom on the floor, do not get mad, you are the problem.

 Quite a number of people do not deserve animals, case in point. For about the last 6 months and on average about once a week I see a beagle wandering the streets. Now the area is in a city and the roads are on the busy side. This dog has almost been ran over many times, and that is just what I have witnessed. I posted a message in a community Facebook group for my city explaining the situation and if anyone knows the owners of this dog. A few days later I receive a response and they state that they themselves and their children went to the owner on several occasions and let them know about the dog roaming the streets and how he almost gets hits. Their attitude was they just shrugged it off and had the "So What" mind set.

 You would not believe what some animals go through, just visit your local shelter and they will enlighten you. Quite a disturbingly large amount of animals get adopted from shelters and then are returned just a short time later.

 When we wanted to add a cat to our family we thought about it for months and weighed all the options. 1st we decided to get a cat from the shelter since they are the ones that needed it the most.We made sure that we had everything that the cat would need and our schedule permitted it. We decided on a black little kitten named Leonard, but we changed his name to Jynx. Black cats (and dogs) are the hardest to place due to the superstition that is associated with them, so we knew that our new buddy was going to be just fine with us.

 An animal is not a toy, it is a living being and needs your love. Think long and hard and weigh all options before deciding on adding an animal to your family.

(Chris Chaos is a long time resident of South Jersey who once again resides in and writes from Gloucester City, New Jersey. He is a filmmaker, a business owner, writer, urban explorer and investigator of the odd and weird, a proud parent, happily taken and a connoisseur of hot wings. Chris can be reached at AxisVideo@aol.com)