What is Responsible Pet Ownership - Part 2?

Part 2

These are difficult articles to write. Why? Because the definition of Responsible Pet Ownership is so controversial. For each person you ask, you will get a different definition of Responsible Pet Ownership. For starters - about 50% of those you ask will say "It should be Responsible Pet Guardianship, not ownership." Which is one of the most basic and inherent issues.

Where some believe a pet is property, others believe that we are guardians to them. Unfortunately, the current laws in our country define most animals as property, which makes it very hard to change the perception. Hard, but not impossible. It's important that animal enthusiasts continue to focus on improving the laws to provide better protection of our companions. One way to stay current on the progress of changes to the many laws among all states, is to review the HSUS website, particularly the Issues area.

As a pet owner/guardian, you accept a few basic responsibilities when adopting, rescuing or otherwise acquiring a companion pet. As a Pet Owner/Guardian you have a legal, ethical and financial responsibility to your family, your pet and your community. What does that look like and what does that mean? Over the next several weeks, we will dissect and explore these three areas of responsibility and what they mean to you.

What legal responsibility do you accept when becoming a pet owner/guardian? Well, it's your job to know what the rules are before you adopt. Most every city (at least those considered metropolitan) in the country have laws governing pet owners. These laws exist to protect your pet, your family and your community members from health concerns. From Rabies Vaccination Compliance to Containment (leashing as well as containing a female in heat) to waste disposal to Dangerous Dog laws - there are a myriad of laws on the books. Have a conversation with your local Animal Care and Control facility to get an idea of the laws in your community.

Some laws exist to protect your family (Dangerous Dog Laws, Rabies Vaccination, etc.). Some laws exist to protect your pet (Dangerous Dog Laws, Rabies Vaccination, Containment, etc.). And all laws exist to protect members of the community. As a pet guardian, you owe it to your family, your pet and your neighbor to do everything in your power to keep control of your pet so as to avoid injury to him or others as well as illness.

In the next blog, we will discuss the Ethical responsibilities of pet owners/guardians. Feel free to post questions or share your insights and thoughts about this subject.