All the sayings, such as "a dog is a man's best friend" and "our perfect companions never have fewer than four feet" are meant to portray the special bonds between animals and humans. They make us feel unconditional love and that says a lot in this crazy world of give and take. But a true animal lover knows that having a pet or, for instance, owning a horse, takes plenty of long term sacrifices in our human world. A pet is a responsibility that finds it's way into our everyday life, where a pet is just as important as the many other set priorities for us. They take planning and money to make sure they are happy and healthy. They rely on us for their well being and we have to make sure they are fed, watered, groomed, exercised, and in many cases, trained. The "pet commitment" issue is so important, because that real commitment can take YEARS of doing the right things for our pets. Dogs, cats, horses, and all other pets are not "throwaway" items to be let go when we're bored with them or when they take too much of our time or they're too old. There will be instances when the original pet owner has to make the hard decisions to rehome or put to sleep, but that's just it, that decision should be hard. We do live in that throwaway society where if it's not convenient anymore or it's just too much work, we throw in the towel and say we're done. Ultimately, the saying, "Bless the Beasts and the Children, For in this World they have no Voice, They have no Choice" rings so very true. Put your heart into them because no one can do it better than you if you truly try.
