Adopting a dog from an animal shelter is an opportunity to save a pet's life and improve your own.
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Lately I have noticed quite a few folks out walking their dogs, and pleases me to see animals and their humans enjoying time together. It serves to remind me that having a dog as a pet can have some really great benefits. For instance, they can help humans socialize with each other. It’s easy to strike up a conversation with someone when you both have a pet at the other end of the leash.
Walking the dog is also healthy because it means both you and your four-legged buddy are getting some exercise. If you want more exercise with your pet, you could try agility training.
But exercise is not the only good reason to have a dog as a pet.
I have a friend who has taken her pet through training for animal-assisted therapy. Her good-natured dog is going to help make life a little brighter for the people they visit.
Another friend is recently divorced; she and her son both find their dog is a great listener and a comfort to them as they go through a difficult transition.
An elderly friend has recently moved from an apartment into a small house and thinks having a dog around would make him feel less lonely, and maybe even a little safer because it might alert him if someone were outside the house.
For me, I like the idea that I can come home to a waggy tail that tells me my furry companion is always happy to see me. Hard day? Forgotten! Crazy people at work or bad drivers? Doesn’t matter! I can come home to my best friend who makes me feel special and lets me know that the world is not such a bad place, after all.
If that’s the kind of “welcome home” that sounds good to you, all you have to do is visit your local animal shelter and adopt a canine friend of your very own.
And this is the perfect time, because October is Adopt A Dog Month. Whether you want an exercise buddy or a cozy companion, whatever your lifestyle, there’s a dog for you.
According to Roger Caras, “Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.” Adopting a dog will save one animal’s life, and may just help make your life whole, when you’re speaking of pets.