But, there are literally thousands of dogs looking for homes right now, and many of those will be put to sleep before the year is out.
So think again, could you afford a dogwalker or pop home at lunchtime? Is your dog really distressed or are you trying to give them a perfect life?
I work full-time, only some of that is from home and I now belong to three border collies. They go on fewer walks than you might think though we do run together several times a week. More often we spend quality time doing silly training and playing finding games in the garden. Kongs are a great way of passing the time and regular massage means they're all pretty good at relaxing.
I'm not a perfect home by any stretch of the imagination, but I promise you that those homes are few and far between. Rescues are stretched further than ever right now, and a less than perfect home is probably still better than a lonely kennel.
Taking on a dog is adopting a family member - so please think long and hard before you give up on them.
This is a very interesting post. It always annoys me when I hear people say that they have to give up their dog because they do not have enough time. And I always wonder, if you knew this why did you get it? It can be hard, don't get me wrong; I work 12 hours a day and I sometimes feel guilty so come home at lunchtime and feed/play the dogs. I am lucky my parents live in town and they love pet sitting but when I was in a different town, I had a dog walker some and walk them a few times a week. It is a matter of re arranging certain things in my life to make it work. Dogs a re a big responsibility, and some people do not realize it. So your advise I love: think long and hard before you enter into that commitment.
ReplyDeleteAngie (plus Snoopy and Rummer)
Fetch