It's Dog or Nothing - Living Large. Living Fluffy
Started by In Defense of Animals, February is Responsible Animal Guardian Month. During the month of February, we remind people to be a guardian, not an owner.
What makes a responsible animal guardian?
A responsible animal guardian looks out for an animal’s physical, social, behavioral, and psychological needs.
- Grooming to ensure healthy skin and coat
- Training to have a happy, stress-free life without behavioral issues
- Regular vet visits to keep tabs on health
- Healthy, nutritious food
- Daily, breed appropriate exercise
- Microchipping
- Adopting only through responsible rescues/shelters and ethical breeders
- Tending to emotional needs
- Always treating with compassion
- Reporting suspected abuse
Some fun facts about animal guardians:
- 97% believe their pets understand them
- 78% imagine what their pets would say and speak for them
- 53% have taken off work at least once to take care of a sick pet
- 70% of people sign their pet’s name on a greeting card
- 58% include their pets in family/holiday portraits
- 78% think of their pets as children
- 84% display photographs of them
The use of the term “guardian” will ultimately end so much cruelty and abuse, and save so very many lives. – Dr. Elliot Katz, Founder of IDA
For more information about why you should be an animal guardian rather than an owner, watch the brief video below.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Convinced? Take the pledge to be a guardian and then comment below to tell me what makes YOU an animal guardian.
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