Oldie but goodie
By Craig Allan, Business Manager
I don’t want a puppy or a dog that is only a couple of years old as to me that just sounds like years of forced dedication.
I have never owned a pet. For most of my life, my parents worked and they didn’t want to get me a pet in case I gave up on it as they would not have the time to take care of it. You would think this would make me eager to get a pet now that I am older, but it doesn’t.
I don’t like the idea of owning a pet because of the work; all the feeding, the walks, the shedding of hair, and the stink they leave behind. I mean just picking up their poop would be too much for me (I guess my parents were right).
Seeing as this is the pet issue, I decided to think about what kind of a pet I would want. When I researched everything and thought about the amount of work I would want to put in, I realized what the ideal situation is. I don’t want a puppy or a dog that is only a couple of years old as to me that just sounds like years of forced dedication. No, the type of animal I’d want needs to be older.
When I thought about it, older pets are great. They aren’t going to be around for long, they are usually already potty trained, and they are low maintenance as they won’t need to be played with as much. The old thing would be uninterested in doing anything and would just need a place to hang out and live its final years. As long as I walk it and it does not have any intestinal problems that cause it to shit uncontrollably, it’s a perfect match!
The kind of animal I am thinking about for this would most likely be a dog. There are a lot of old dogs in my area, and I think they are much cuter than a puppy. They’re slow-moving, and just really content with themselves and where they are in that moment. They also don’t seem to have much of a reaction when they see another dog which is a plus.
With all of this in mind, the age limit for what dog I would accept would probably be around 14 years old. Depending on the size of the dog, they can live on average between 7 (for giant dogs) to 16 years (for smaller dogs). That way the dog still lives for two to three more years, (maybe up to six if I am really unlucky), and then dies and we part ways.
Basically, what I am saying is that I don’t want a pet that requires 15 to 20 years of maintenance. Some may say that it’s worth it for the companionship, but I am just not that kind of guy. I’m not one of those people who believe that a pet is like my child, it is an animal that we have normalized into being part of our lives. To me, a pet will just be an animal that lives with me until it dies, and then I either move on and get another pet, or just move on. My emotional attachment would not be very strong since it would only be in my life for a couple years.
That’s why an older pet is great: no need to develop a long attachment. It’ll sleep for most of the day, I will sleep for most of the day or go to work, and all it will need is food and walks. Plus, if I can get an automatic feeder then it’s a match made in heaven.
