Years ago when my kids were in grade school I let them talk me into getting a little Shih Tzu puppy. I had been divorced for a couple of years and had gone back to school to get my degree. Any way I let them guilt me into it and later I found it was just a terrible mistake. I already had enough stress in my life and the kids were not helping take care of the puppy as they had said. (Familiar story) Anyway after a few months I was ready to find a new home for the guy. Then I decided it was not a responsible thing to do. I ended up deciding to just admit I had done the wrong thing and make the dog my dog and quit resenting that the kids did not take care of him. Well, it was difficult but I kept him and he ended up being a great friend to me for many years. He was still with me long after the kids graduated from high school.
But that was me. I had been raised with pets and had them all my life. There are a lot of people out there that are not responsible pet owners and in many cases the pet is better off going to a rescue or a better home. Your right though, many times the new home is not a great match and the dog is passed around or abused. As more and more kids are growing up in homes that do not teach them how to be responsible, loving or kind we are producing more and more adults that do not know how to care for a pet or a human being. It's a sad situation for both species. |