We all know adopting a companion can be incredibly rewarding. But, there are some who do not consider the lifestyle changes and adopt a companion purely on impulse. Before you consider adopting, read this post from the Portage Animal Welfare Society about a day in the life of a dog tied up in the back yard.
6:00am: I can see and hear people moving around in the house but no one comes outside to check on me. They are talking and laughing; I wish I could be with them.
6:30am: Im hungry and thirsty. I tipped over my food and water bowls last night when I got tangled in my chain.
6:45am: The chain is too tight and its cutting into my neck.
8:15am: The people who live in the house are all leaving. I try to run toward them with my tail wagging, hoping they will notice me, but my chain snaps me backward and I fall to the ground. Its no use.
8:15am-2:00pm: Im not sure what Im supposed to do with myself. I cant protect the house from my chain. I don't have any toys to play with and there are no other dogs to keep me company. Maybe if I bark, someone will show me what to do or come and play with me - I decide to bark all day.
2:30pm: The animal bylaw officer arrives and posts a notice on the door of the house. He looks pityingly at me. Do I look bad? I know I'm dirty but its hard to stay clean when I'm always sitting in dirt. I pace in circles and growl and bark at him because I don't know what else to do. I growl and bark at other people passing my yard too.
3:15pm: The smallest person from the house has returned. Maybe he will play with me! He's does not. I go to the bathroom in the same place I always go, a few feet from my shelter.
5:30pm: The rest of the people are home. One of them removes the notice left by the animal bylaw officer and yells at me to stop barking. I pace back and forth, confused.
6:00pm: I smell food in the house. I am still hungry and thirsty.
7:00pm: One of the people from the house comes out to see me. He fills my food and water bowls and I am so happy for this attention that I jump up in excitement, spilling both bowls and dirtying his clothes. He scolds me and declares that this behavior of mine is one of the reasons I am not allowed to live in the house with him.
8:00pm: Another lonely night. I dream about being on a chain because its all I know.
We urge all of our adopters to carefully think about what adopting a companion entails. Companions require attention, love, affection, exercise, adequate shelter, food and water, and proper and routine veterinary care. For more information on adopting a companion, read this article.