by Kim Boczkur

Created on: May 21, 2008

Pets are part of my family. As a child I always had pets, my parents never knew what I would bring home next.

Fond memories are pets that I found injured and nursed back to health and either kept or released back to nature. I nursed birds with broken wings, helps a toad with a sore foot and a cat that had been hit by a car. Sometimes my friends would call and say that an animal was at their house and they could not keep it. I would go to their home with a box and bring it home. I am luckily that I had understanding parents.

I believe that from my experiences with these animals it made me more understanding and tolerant of the world around.

Still today I bring home animals. My husband of now thirty five years has learned to love animals as I do. We at present have two Newfoundland dogs and two cats.

Often, I think I should have been a vet, but for some reason that was not in my cards. I did however become a teacher of children with special needs. So I can see that my love and patients paid of in my career choose.

I did decide to take an interest course in vet assistant and passed it with a ninety-five percent average.

We use to live in the city, but have since moved to the country. It is so neat to watch with wonder at the deers, moose, beaver and many ducks around the property. My animals know they are free here and are living a wonderful life.

Are pets part of my family certainly. It makes me feel whole having them in my home. I am always amazed at people who tell me they have pets. I will then see that sure they may have a dog or a cat but how can they tell me that they are really part of their family when all the time they are outside, mostly in a pen or tied to a tree. I can not see that this like having them as part of your family. After all would you keep your family members outside. Pets after all are alway there for you and they give you unconditional love.

I even decided to take in animals now when people go on vacation. Last year my house was full 6 cats and 3 dogs, but you know they were all loved and they rarely had disagreements. All these animals were here for 4 months. This year only one extra dog so far and only for a month but who knows what tomorrow may bring.

No matter what your day has been like they are there for you. They will help relieve your stress, give them a pat or a cuddle and find out why I feel they are part of a family. I will never be without a pet no matter how big or how small I will alway have a pet.

Learn more about this author, Kim Boczkur.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.