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A Best Friend By: Jai Advani
Jax and I Once when I was 5 or 6 years old, I had asked my parents for a puppy. They told me “no” it was too much work and that I should get the idea out of my head. I couldn’t. As an only child I felt solitary at home. I brought the idea up again when I was 10. I still received a no. Then, I began to have dreams of a dog, I started reading books about dogs, looking up images and learning about them online. I also realized some dogs needed me as much as I needed them. There were some that needed homes. I started falling in love with dogs without even owning one. I was desperate for a companion at home. My dad had taken me to the ASPCA where I saw rescued dogs looking for a family. The ASPCA started because a man named Henry Burgh saw a man beating his horse and Henry Burgh thought it was cruel. He decided to create the ASPCA where animals found would be taken care of and put up for adoption. While I was there I also saw a dog named Jax. He was my favorite out of all the dogs there. I felt a special connection when I saw Jax. Something I was very fond of. I don’t know if it was that he was calm or playful or cute, but there was something unique about Jax that I enjoyed. He was almost 3 years old. He was a Jack Russell Terrier. I was allowed to take a picture of him and I together. It was a memorable moment.
Pets Need Children One reason why pets need children is because they are in cages waiting to be adopted or bought. At the ASPCA I saw pets in a tight area with not enough room to play in. Many people can’t fit a big pet in their homes because of space the pet will take up.
Pets Need Children Some pets are small and a perfect size but because of the noise they can make, people don’t want to adopt or buy them. Some people just find that a pet isn’t cute. Even though the pets aren’t cute they still need homes. Pets can be similar to humans. You can’t judge them on the way they look, you have to dig deeper and look at how they act around you. They need a home, picture a person locked in a cage.
Responsibility In addition, children gain more responsibility by having a pet at a young age. Once they get used to taking care of a pet they can take on more and more jobs. Aaron Arenas, a child pet owner quoted “ I have gained a lot of responsibility. It is similar to taking care of a baby, a living thing.”
Responsibility Katherine Studt, another child pet owner said “ A benefit of having a pet is that my parents treat me as if I’m more mature. Taking care of a real living creature, I feel more responsible. That led to more independent activities like walking home alone and keys to the house. Sometimes my parents let me go out to other friend’s homes. I feel more trusted by my parents and proud to be more responsible.” According to the AACAP (American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry) owning a pet at a young age, children develop responsibility and gain respect for other living things, also learn life lessons about, birth, illnesses, accidents and death as well.
Friendship Furthermore, if a child owns a pet they have a best friend, someone to always talk to when lonely. Children and their pets have a give and take relationship of love and care for each other. A pet plays a substantial role in a person’s childhood.
Friendship Madison Silverberg, another child pet owner said “The benefits of having a pet is that when I’m angry, I can go up to my pet and there is someone I can really communicate with. My pets are great companions.” The AACAP also says children can share private thoughts with a pet. Both the child and the pet will feel affection, love, and loyalty together.
Conclusion All in all, having a pet at a young age is great for the child and the pet. If you can’t take care of a big pet such as a dog or cat, start small with animal, such as a guinea pig, hamster, turtle or even pet fish.
