Patch Blog: Pet Ownership is a High-Paying Job

I've been watching a lot of The People's Court and Judge Judy, lately, and anytime there's a case regarding a pet, my ears perk up. Of course, I enjoy when Judge Judy hammers a complacent or irresponsible pet owner. Part of my job is to protect pets in my care, so I'm always interested in the legal aspects of these cases. Much of the time, the burden of proof falls on both, the Plaintiff and the Defendant, to show they are responsible pet owners.

This sounds easy enough: Provide food, water, and shelter, right? There's also disease and parasite prevention, vaccines, i.d./microchip, spay/neuter, following local laws, training, excercise, and behavior, proper care based on age, health issues, and activity level, breed or species knowledge, and more...wow! That's your job, and more, as a pet owner.

If you have a human family, the job becomes comparable to running a small office. Communication and consistency are key in creating the best environment for your pet family and your human family, together. Every family member can accept a pet care job appropriate for their age and skill level. When a responsibility as important as feeding a pet is involved, it can add value to the bond between the person feeding and the pet chowing down.

"Job? Responsibility? I'm not getting paid for this." Really? When your cat takes a treat out of your hand, your bird learns a new word, your dog looks to you for the "okay", or your rabbit falls asleep in your lap...is that not payment? For me, it's the highest paying job I've ever had. I think our pets pay us in rewards, which is a bit backwards, but true. When I think about my own pets and how much I've spent in vet bills alone (Bicycle has cost me about $65,000 over 11 years, while Tiberius has racked up less than $8,000 in 12 years), the anxious feeling I get immediately subsides when they are sitting by their "tables" waiting for breakfast. They have rewarded me beyond what I could've purchased with that money...no question.

Pets can provide an extremely fulfilling, fun, and loving experience, if you do your job as an owner. I'm not saying it's necessary to spend $65,000 on every dog, it's not normal, I fully agree, but if you are that dog's owner and need to make expensive decisions along the way, it's part of what you take on at the very beginning. You never know what kind of pet you will have: an $8,000 one or a $65,000 one. If you choose to have pets, I hope you take the time to do what is right for those pets. Being a responsible pet owner does not consist of dumping them when things are too difficult or expensive, asking for them to be euthanized because you can no longer afford to feed them*, or accepting housing that does not allow pets. None of that is okay in a pet's world.

Just like any other "job", if you fail to follow the rules, you can be written up, or even fired. Leash laws, waste disposal, and car safety, for example, are sometimes a dog owner's worst enemy. A dog's worst nightmare if their owner doesn't do their job. In my next blog posts, I will discuss the local leash laws, waste pick up, and the safest ways to take your dog for a ride. But, for now, I will end with a simple "Thank you." to all of you who take pet ownership seriously and enjoy the experience of the human-animal bond. Whether you have a chicken, dog, snake, tortoise, or cat, the responsibility is great and I commend you for doing your job.

*If you are, or someone you know is having trouble feeding your family, including your pet family, there is help: can help the humans AND the pets! To donate to the Foothill Unity Center's Pet Food Bank, bring cat and/or dog food to help us fill a '51 Pick Up at the Car Show this Saturday, September 10, from 10am-3pm, on Myrtle.