by Scott Kolecki

Created on: April 06, 2009

I must begin by admitting that I never considered myself (past tense) much of an animal lover of any sort. Sure, growing up I had a family dog and a handful of cats, but never did I really share an overwhelming desire to own an animal with any of these pets. They were there because my parents had acquired them at one time or another and they had become members of the family. As I moved into adulthood, got married and started a family of my own, I found myself continuing along that same trend. I never really gave much thought to the idea that I might find and animal that I would connect with, let alone form a bond with.

To my surprise, I found that I would make an irreversable connection with the most unlikely of companions, my wife's Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. She had long wanted one of these dogs and I, not really seeing a reason to say no, agreed to let her get one, with the understanding that it was her dog and that I really wanted nothing to do with it. When he arrived, I was slow to warm to this little puppy, who was little more than an overgrown ball of fur with the biggest eyes you've ever seen. It took the better part of several weeks before I began to really warm to this little guy, but in the end I did and I can say that it's a decision I am truly glad I made.

What are the rewards of owning a pet? Companionship is the first, most obvious answer. Finley, our Cavalier, taught me that a dog has a sense of loyalty that few human friends can foster or maintain. He is constant and always ready to give love, just as he is always willing to receive it. He is faithful to a fault and, while he is not always immediate to respond to a command, he is getting there. He is still a puppy afterall, and he is therefore still working on learning his boundaries. Still, he has proven to be a wonderful companion.

Another reward of owning a pet is that they inspire and encourage their owners to become more involved and more active with them. They encourage exercise by the sheer requirement that they need to burn off all that extra energy that they might otherwise use chewing up your furniture or your favorite pair of slippers. They love the interaction and look forward to romping through the woods or finding wonderful new scents along some beaten path through a local park. They are great at motivating us to get off our backsides and they reward us by sharing their excitement and appreciation with us through their wagging tails and their sloppy dog kisses.

Ultimately, owning

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