Quite often people might make a rash decision to adopt an animal, usually because of their excitement and / or ignorance of the responsibilities of such an adoption. Most of us relate having a dog to the security of our home. Those of us who have children know the enthusiasm that our children ask for, and many times, persist on getting a pet for company – usually because they have seen one in a movie or their friends have already got one.

Most of the time, we only focus on the positive aspects of having a dog: it is a faithful companion, giving us its love, asking very little as a return. It is a great teacher for our children and it offers its support unconditionally; it is without a doubt, man’s best friend.A dog can also guard our house, according to the training he has had and of course its character. Young animals – adorable, cute and playful in their nature – will certainly give us unforgettable moments of laughter and carefree times.

Nevertheless, apart from all these wonderful gifts, we take on a number of responsibilities which unfortunately we often overlook or dismiss as trivial. On some occasions, these responsibilities were not sufficiently explained to the future owners so they can make a mature and informed decision.

Therefore it is very useful to refer to the following matters regarding the adoption of an animal so that the prospective owner is fully aware of the responsibilities he is about to take and the situations he is likely going to encounter by raising and taking care of an animal.

Your pet:

• Has specific dietary needs and nutrients.
• Needs regular preventive medical care.
• Might get sick and will have to be properly treated at a vet.
• Will eventually grow old.
• Has its own needs and behavior (a dog will bark, a cat will mew, it will change coat, some animals have a certain smell, it will have its own time for activities and sleep time, it is going to need regulal, daily walks to relieve itself, occasionally it may cause small damages in the house, some pets might need special coat treatment according to their breed).
• Needs companionship.
• Needs protection from weather conditions.