Pet Blessings

Tonight I want to write about a subject that has come up in our family recently. The topic is pets…dogs, cats, hamsters, fish, and even snakes. And the subject at hand is the question of what to do with pets when they create issues for the family. Let me explain further.
Sometimes, things happen in families that make pet ownership very difficult. Financial reversals, health issues (either for humans or pets), food costs, cleanliness of living areas, having a place to live, etc. all are real issues that can be made worse by having pets.
Financial reversals, job losses, etc. may make it very difficult to provide a pet with the food, shelter, and health care it needs to be healthy and happy. Humans can be allergic to pets or the pets themselves can have health issues that affect the well-being of humans. Pet food isn’t as cheap as it used to be, and if an animal needs a special diet due to a health issue, the costs skyrocket. Living areas can smell and have the products of having a pet indoors, even with the best housekeeping. And if one is renting, few landlords will allow pets in their homes, and those that do probably have houses that aren’t fit to live in in the first place.
But what to do if one has a pet that is part of the family. And pets certainly can be part of the family and good for the well-being of one or more family members. Pets are the one constant in a sometimes confusing and jumbled world. It isn’t easy to give up a pet.
Now, before you read what follows and berate me for being callous and uncaring, stop. You have not a clue how I felt when I made the decision to put down Dynamite instead of spend money we didn’t have on a surgery that might or might not work. You don’t know the angst, heartbreak, and tears shed (to say nothing of the nightmares), when we had to give up our beloved Susie. And you weren’t there when I accidently ran over Purry and found Tom run over out in the street, and I had to dig the hole myself, scoop them up with a shovel, and bury them.
There comes a time when, if the question is whether to provide decent food and shelter for the humans, or keep a pet, the humans are the correct answer. Always. Every time. Each time. Pets, even beloved family pets, play second fiddle to the needs and well-being of the humans every time. To do otherwise is to cheapen, I think, the human soul and spirit and elevate animals to the level of people, which is not only unbiblical in a religious sense, but goes against everything we know about the human family and human relationships.
I would like to think that Dynamite, had she been able to process the situation, would have gladly sacrificed herself for our family’s well-being. I’d like to think that Susie, had she been able to understand the importance of our working with abused and neglected teen girls, would have been first in line to volunteer to step out of the way.
I have had a pet (usually a dog) for most of my life, beginning before I can even remember. I don’t have one now and don’t plan to get one primarily because I don’t want to go through the separation and grief process yet again. It will be difficult enough for me when my sister’s dog has to go, as I’ve grown quite fond of Lydia the stray that we found out at our house some years ago.
We need to thank God for the time we were blessed with a pet, cherish the memories and count the blessings; then go on and live life as His beloved children. Easier said than done, but so necessary. May God bless all who lovingly care for a part of His creation, and bless those animals that are held in the hollow of His hand.