Pamela Chan, BCFamily.ca/Editorial
Lean 30 : 30 days of keeping it lean and old school online. More
Last night when I was supposed to be thinking about the fifth installment in my Lean 30 series, I was looking at photos of dogs. I’ve discovered that in addition to dog adoption information on the BC SPCA site, you can also find a good collection of information on UsedVancouver.com. From there it’s an unlimited trip down the Internet highway reading up on dogs who would be a good fit in a home with younger children. Of course as luck would have it my other half has informed me that there is a ban in our house on adopting a dog at least for the next few years.
Forgetting that small detail for now, here’s my favourite dog so far – the Petit Basset Griffen Vendeen. Here’s how they are described:
The Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen, or PBGV, is a breed of dog of the scent hound type, bred to trail hares in bramble-filled terrain of the Vendée district of France.
As luck would have it, they are related to the hound breed so they have a substantial bark. One reviewer wrote that they only bark when there is justification. So there’s hope because this so called “happy dog” looks adorable!
The listings that I’ve read include dogs coming from private homes, breeder information and rescue dogs. At our home buying a $3,000 dog is out of the question. One estimate lists the annual cost of raising at dog at $700. So you have to be realistic about your cost outlay when you adopt a dog. It can be anything from $200 something to about $500+.
I’ve seen how a household of one or more people that adopts a dog (or other pet such as a cat) experiences so much joy from the presence of a pet. The addition of a pet can disperse negative attitudes and disharmony in a household. I’ve also seen, first hand, how a dog can reach out and make friends with people outside of the family. I’ve had dogs in my family’s household since I was a child living in Africa and some of them have traveled to many countries and lived in a number of them with us.
My four year olds are ready to have a dog. In fact one of them takes a very serious outlook when caring for my parent’s dog, when she comes to visit. I don’t expect them to be ready for a dog when they are old enough to be responsible for the pet’s care. This simply isn’t realistic. Children can help care for a pet but ultimately one of the adults in the house has to take on the job of overseeing all of the details related to grooming, feeding, walking and caring for the dog.
How about you? Do you have a pet? Were there hiccups in your home when the topic of pet adoption came up? Are you cruising photos contemplating an adoption?