AnimalKind's mission is to end the unnecessary euthanasia of adoptable cats and dogs in North Carolina shelters.
The phrase “man’s best friend” sums it all up perfectly. Owning a dog can provide happiness, fulfillment and a companion for life. Here are the top five reasons you should own a dog.
Dogs are like built-in vacuum cleaners. If you drop or spill something on the floor, they practically race to clean up behind you. You can save a lot of time by not having to get on your hands and knees with a rag to wipe up a mess.
Walking, running and even bicycling are more fun with a buddy. Dogs require exercise just like people, and doing it together makes it even better. Plus, you may even make a new friend while out with your dog – when’s the last time you didn’t want to go pet your neighbor’s adorable puppy?
Before you and your partner decide to have children, it may be a good idea to get a dog together first. Caring for a dog is a great way to determine what kinds of parents you will be. You have to make compromises and sacrifices in order to take care of a dog. Who will take the dog out tonight? Who is going to pick up dog food at the store on the way home? These kinds of decisions may seem trivial, but working together to make sure your dog stays happy and healthy is perfect practice for the real thing. Additionally, once you have kids, dogs can help tech responsibility.
Dogs can function as built-in security systems; they have natural protection instincts, especially when it comes to their families. Unfamiliar people and noises put dogs on high alert, so a potential intruder might be deterred from entering your home at the sound of a dog barking. As soon as a dog’s ears perk up, you know something has caught their attention.
This is probably the most important reason to own a dog. Dogs instantly become an integral part of the family. They constantly want to lick you, sit in your lap, and snuggle up with you in bed. Your dog will never cease to make you smile – a dog is a forever companion that you can always lean on.
Though some of these reasons for owning a dog make seem silly, there really are so many benefits of having a dog. Check out your local shelter to find a pup that really needs a home.
-Paige Plumblee & Lauren Adams, AnimalKind Volunteers
