Recently, we had two additions to our family. Two of our four daughters adopted a dog. Everyone in the family has one or two dogs, cats, rabbits and even a horse. Our daughters grew up with horses, dogs, cats, rabbits, and even ducks. So this love of animals stayed with them and now their children love animals, too.
I think animals give more to us that we could possible realize. First of all, they give unconditional love. It doesn't matter how we look or what the world thinks, they love us. It has been proven that owning an animal lowers blood pressure. I even read about a little boy that could not learn to read until a dog was allowed to sit with him.
Dogs may not speak but they understand what you are talking about and even when you are not feeling up to par. What a blessing they are!
Here are a few tips and activities on being kind to animals from the humane society of the United States:
Get the word out: Educate your friends, family and teachers about cruelty and its connection to human violence by sharing information and materials from The Humane Society of the United States at http://www.hsus.org.
Start an animal protection club at your school. Visit http://www.humaneteen.org/?q=node/44. View the activities that teens are doing for animals and start a club similar.
Make the 'Net' work: If you find an Internet site that promotes animal abuse, urge the service provider that hosts the website to remove it immediately. You can find the address of the website provider at networksolutions.org.
Keep a lookout: If you see a stray or injured animal, contact your local animal care and control agency or the police. Provide a description of the animal and the location.
Be a responsible pet owner: Don't let your cats and dogs roam. Cats are safest indoors. When outdoors, dogs should be walked on a leash or supervised in a fenced yard. It's up to you to keep your pets safe and out of harm's way.
