Our Greatest Responsibility

I am a frequent visitor to the Hoffman's Reptiles here in Concord, CA. At first, Dan Hoffman might not strike you as a typical "pet store" owner. Good thing, because he's far from it. Posted right on the cashier's counter is this framed statement:

"When you purchase a living thing you hold its life in your hands. This is a awesome responsibility that must be taken seriously. If you cannot care for this precious life, do not take it home."

Can't argue with that. When I was a kid my concept of owning a pet was to go out to the store and buy some furry little critter, take him home and promptly ignore him. I had hamsters and gerbils because Mom and Dad didn't want to get a dog. All well and good, but when I tried to teach the little guys to fetch they just ran away under the bed. Not much fun. And that's really the problem with any new pet. Too often pets are purchased to fill some perceived need for companionship, a desire to teach responsibility or even as an exotic form of decor, without giving thought to the fact that we have now accepted a new life into our own and must cherish and nurture it.
I have volunteered at Tony LaRussa's Animal Rescue Foundation and graduated from the Marin Humane Society's Consultant Instructor Training Academy and I have seen many pets who were simply abandoned because they were too much trouble to care for. These poor creatures had no control over who bought them and took them home. Too often the problem is bad planning on the part of the owners. Let me make some suggestions here:

1. Before you ever leave the house to get a pet, sit down and list all the pro's and con's of ownership. Where will it sleep? Who will feed it? Where will we get medical care for it? How much will it cost to keep this pet to old age? Whose pet is this?
2. Get somebody with an objective point of view to help you with your decision. When a good friend of mine was thinking about getting a dog, he asked me to come over and talk to the whole family about the process. I asked the kind of questions you see above, then I went with them to ARF to keep them from taking every dog home!
3. If you're getting an exotic pet like a snake or turtle, get all the information you can about their special needs. The East Bay Vivarium and Hoffman's Reptiles will talk to you about just what these guys need to survive and thrive.
4. If yours is a busy lifestyle, make sure the pet you choose can either come along or doesn't require copious amounts of your time. There's nothing more pitiful than seeing a dog chained to a tree in a yard, barking at passersby while its owners go on about their lives. If you can't spend time with it, don't get it!

Pets are a wonderful addition to our lives. My family zoo includes a dog, two cats, a rabbit, a lizard, a frog and a tarantula. They all have their places in our lives and we have made a commitment to help each one live to the full measure of their life expectancies. That can only be done through diligent, informed care.