Why Do Pets Have People?

     Every time one of my dogs crosses over the rainbow bridge, I say to my wife, “I will never adopt another dog because it just hurts too much when they are gone.” But then, a few weeks later, when the silence without them in our home is deafening, I begin to look for available dogs at the shelter. 

A couple of years ago, I wrote a column, and later a book titled “Why Do People Have Pets?” This column asks why do pets have-need people from the POV of the pet.Not surprisingly, pets have people for some of the same reasons people have pets. Companionship, love, friendship, and understanding come to mind. However, pets need people for reasons that are not in common, such as shelter, food, protection, water, medical needs and attention, maintenance for their body, etc. A pet cat or pet dog depends on its owners to provide all of these necessities and their entire lives. Unlike a child that grows up and learns to drive and work at age 16, a 16-year-old dog or cat still needs the same care and commitment from its owner as it did when they were 3-months old. Pets only age physically, not cognitively.

One of the few times we went to a breeder for a dog was 18-years ago. I remember I had to pick up the puppy because the breeder was bugging out due to the oncoming Hurricane Charley. The puppy was only 6-weeks old and was the runt of the litter. She was the size of a 3.5" floppy disk. We named her Fiona, and she was the only female dog we have ever owned. She was so different from the male dogs. I called her Baby Girl, and she was daddy's little girl. (hear more)

It’s a fact of life; your dog or cat will go missing at one time or another. It’s a terrible feeling when your pet digs under the backyard fence or gets off the leash and takes off running. You turn your back for just a second, and your pet is gone. Luckily, most responsible pet owners have their pets microchipped which increases the odds of getting your pet back ten-fold. (hear more)

I recently lost one of my dogs, Max, to degenerative myelopathy. The disease slowly affects the dog's spinal cord, and they lose the use of their extremities. After 11 years of being a great and faithful companion, Max was losing his battle with the disease. He lost the use of his hind legs and could no longer control his bodily functions. We made the decision to help Max crossover the Rainbow Bridge and stayed with him during the euthanasia process. (hear more)

I recently visited Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach with our Ambassador Dog and my personal pet, Bentley. The university had requested that we visit to help relieve the students' stress levels during exams week. We were happy to be of assistance.While students gathered to pet Bentley, several would pull up a slab of sidewalk and stay awhile. We talked about Bentley, how he was found as a stray not far from the university, what type of pets they had, etc.  (hear more)