Seasonal Shifts

Above: Bald Eagle photo courtesy of amkhosla.

Yesterday I got very excited as the first Bald Eagle of the season arrived in the little town where I live. My home is nestled on the edge of a lake near the forest and my work area gazes out into nature. Life is GOOD that way.

The first thing that caught my eye was a flash of white. The tail of a mature eagle reflects the sunlight and it is always an exciting thing to witness. There are many hardships that come with living in the mountains…but the close proximity to nature is one of the big perks and one of the reasons I live where I do.

Do you notice the changes of the season or the creatures near your home or work? I hope so.

This month is dedicated to shelter dogs–National Adopt a Shelter Dog Month (June is for cats in case you are wondering). I think we’d be better off with each month focusing on pet parenting education in some aspect or another.

January could be dedicated to proper diet, February to the importance of exercise, March would discuss how mental stimulation is important, April might stress the necessity of training…you get the drift.

There have been a number of studies about why people give up their pets for adoption. I don’t think that it has changed much since I worked in a shelter…but here are a few highlights:

Top three reasons recently cited:
Relinquished over behavior problems.
Relinquished due to housing issues.
Relinquished because the pet was incompatible with lifestyle.

So, if your kid exhibited behavior problems could you justify giving him or her up?

Whoops, sorry.

You get my point? Pets are not something you can just toss aside or hope that someone else will deal with them. Shelter animals need a lot of work and love BUT before deciding you are going to adopt a pet–plan, prepare, and then make an informed, responsible, and committed decision.

I think part of early education should be to volunteer and do work in shelters for both humans and animals–it might do a body good. Let me just say that if you have any type of sensitivity–it can really be a tough experience.

Okay, how did I get from eagles to sheltering? Topics that have been near and dear to my heart today…I’ll be traveling for a few days but will be back next week. Until then, leave me a comment or some links you think would be good topics to rant about.