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I read a little blurb on the news today about the House banning pet rental companies. It got me thinking. I belong to several Yahoo groups that have to do with animal rescue, as well as some LiveJournal comms about animals.

Frequently, people post that they want a dog or a cat, but don’t know what breed to get. They might be unsure of the time requirements, their ability to handle the training, or their commitment to the animal.

We give those people the same advice. Try before you buy.

I’m not saying you should rent a pet. Far from it. There is a way to try a pet on for size, so to speak, without making the lifetime commitment that buying a pet entails.

Become a foster home.

Many private animal rescue organizations, breed rescues, and humane societies place their adoptable pets into private foster homes. Dogs, puppies, cats, kittens, even ferrets and bunnies go to private homes where they can be in an environment free from the stress of a cage in a noisy shelter.  In an environment closer to the home where they will eventually live, they can maintain better potty habits and social skills. When someone is interested in adopting an animal, they can either visit the foster family or the foster family brings the pet to a common location such as a local pet store.

It takes a big heart to be a foster home for a pet in need. You have to able able to let them go when its time. There are many benefits and rewards to being a foster home, though.

• You get to see what it’s like to care for a particular dog or cat. See if a puppy fits into your life. See if you can handle training a cat not to claw the couch. Will you really have time to walk the dog EVERY day?
• You usually do not have to pay the vet expenses. You might even get a break on food and supplies.
• You may have first dibbs on the dog or cat if you fall in love with it.
• If you’re a dog lover, you can always have a puppy!
• If you’re a cat lover, you can always have kittens!
• Free training advise and help from the organization. Learn how to train the pet. You can consider it on the job training.
• You helped save a life. That’s one hell of a reward for any animal lover.

Getting a dog or a cat is a lifetime commitment to that animal. The last thing we need is more homeless pets; millions are killed every year in shelters already. Be a part of the solution — FOSTER!

Paws For Courage is a network of shelters, foster homes, and transporters dedicated to giving domestic violence ‘victims’ a greater chance of becoming ’survivors’. They are currently building a network of volunteers nationwide. Please read the Volunteer page and consider joining or supporting the cause. An animal’s (and humans’) life may very well depend on it.

http://www.pawsforcourage.org

I found this circulating on Craigslist. If anyone knows the original author, please let me know so that I can credit her. Thanks!

After I was discharged from the Navy, Jim and I moved back to Detroit to use our GI bill benefits to get some schooling. Jim was going for a degree in Electronics and I, after much debating, decided to get mine in Computer Science.

One of the classes that was a requirement was Speech. Like many people, I had no fondness for getting up in front of people for any reason, let alone to be the center of attention as I stuttered my way through some unfamiliar subject. But I couldn’t get out of the requirement, and so I found myself in my last semester before graduation with Speech as one of my classes. On the first day of class our professor explained to us that he was going to leave the subject matter of our talks up to us, but he was going to provide the motivation of the speech. We would be responsible for six speeches, each with a different motivation. For instance our first speech’s purpose was to inform. He advised us to pick subjects that we were interested in and knowledgeable about. I decided to center my six speeches around animals, especially dogs.
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Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.
There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together.
There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.
The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together….

Author unknown…

As much as I despise the people who go through pets like they’re going out of style, dumping them when they are no longer cute, or become inconvenient, there are legitimate reasons for needing to rehome your pet. Many people wonder why they should have to pay a fee to take in someone else’s unwanted pet. Don’t let them sway you. If they are pressuring you to release your pet for free, hear those alarm bells!

Here is why you NEED to charge a fee, and other helpful information (courtesy Pet-Abuse.com)

Until you’ve read the stories, you might not believe that people would play the con artist to obtain your pet for free so they can turn around and do something bad to it. Take a look around Pet-Abuse.com. There are some very, very bad people out there, folks.

A fee is good to help screen potential adopters. They can be very good at masking intentions, and once you give up the pet, it’s hard to verify later that the pet was not then sold to a broker or buncher. You also have little recourse, legally, should that happen. The pet was surrendered, what that new person does with it is not controllable or prosecutable if it is not illegal. They can legally sell that animal to anyone they like once they own it.
A dead dog isn’t worth it if it ends up a bait dog or a research animal. Even if you can manage to prosecute due to a contract, the dog is still dead. A $50 fee may have saved its life.

If someone can’t afford the fee, they can’t afford the pet. Pets are an ongoing expense, and also what can happen is a person lets you visit when they specifically cleaned up the place, or the roomy isn’t there, etc.
Brokers don’t pay much; collectors won’t pay for those animals or they wouldn’t make a profit. Bait dogs are never paid for. Why pay for something you plan on killing?

The right thing to do is to ask for a fee large enough to screen these shady types, then to donate the fee to a shelter. No profit for the person surrendering, and it helps shelters. Good deal all around.