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Research pets before adopting one

Reader saddened by pets being left behind by owners

I was very pleased to see the Humane Society article, “Moving to a new home can be a stressful time for pets” in the Waupaca County Post. As a dog lover and owner of an adopted dog, I find it very sad when I read or hear about pets who are left behind when their owners move.

I realize in some cases the pet owner is likely grief-stricken about the matter, but in other instances – as the article suggests – I think these situations can be avoided if the pet owner simply did some “due diligence” ahead of time.

For instance, there are an increasing number of landlords who now accept pets that never used to back when my wife and I rented. Some still do not to be sure, but many just require an additional security deposit in case of “accidents.”

That is but one example. Due diligence also involves areas like determining what type of dog would be the best fit for your particular lifestyle. This is a crucial consideration, but not enough prospective dog owners give this sufficient thought.

For example, many smaller dogs do very well in apartments, while other dogs do not. If you get a large dog that requires a lot of exercise, including running outdoors, don’t be surprised if the dog doesn’t do well in a small dwelling. You can even go online and determine what types of breeds are the best fits for you.

Certainly, it is not possible to keep every dog and cat from being given up for adoption, but I believe many of these cases could be avoided if more people did their “due diligence.”

Mike Jacquart
Iola

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