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"He followed me home, Mom. Honest! Can I keep him?"

Okay, Mom, like it or not, the ball's in your court. What do you do now? You need to think and act fast because every moment your child and that animal are together they are creating a bond that may leave one or both heartsick if your answer must be "No." Assuming for the moment that you are willing to consider adopting a stray pet, here's a list of tips that should help you come to the right decision, quickly.

TIP #1 - TAKE A CLOSER LOOK - Send your child to wash his/her hands while you give the animal a close inspection. Look for identification. Finding none, next check for any evidence of disease or injury. If there is any sign of runny, weepy eyes, sneezing, cough, scratching, sores and bare patches on the skin, or obvious injury, the best advice is to take the animal to to nearest shelter. Sick or injured animals can be a danger to your family's health and max out the Visa card paying for vet bills.

TIP #2 - PLAY IT SAFE - Keep the stray animal out of family living spaces and away from other pets until you get an official clean bill of health with a trip to the Vet. While there, you can have them scan the stray for a microchip ID, as well.

TIP #3 - ATTEMPT TO FIND THE OWNER - This is a perfect time to teach you child about social responsibility. Tell your child that you must wait at least 3 days and make an earnest search for the pet's owner before deciding to keep it. Notify your local animal shelters with a thorough description of the stray pet. Take out a newspaper ad. Most newspapers will run Lost/Found pet ads for free. You may even wish to post a flyer on phone poles in the area where you child first encountered the stray.

TIP #4 - NO NAMES, PLEASE - Absolutely do not allow your child to give the animal a name until you have waited those 3 days and searched for the owner. Naming the pet is a sign of ownership and will only make the situation more difficult if the true owner comes forward to claim their lost pet.

TIP #5 - THE FAMILY MEETING - Don't forget to consult with the other members of the household to make sure EVERYONE is willing to adopt a new member of the family. And, don't forget to consider the feelings of other pets you may have. It is far better to face the disappointment of a single child than to put your whole household into turmoil adopting a pet that is not welcomed by the whole family.

Once you're satisfied that the animal is a stray, healthy, reasonably well-behaved, and would be a welcome addition to your family, it's time to talk to your child about the work and responsibility of pet ownership. Be sure they understand and agree to be the primary caregiver. Then and only then, should you say to your child, "Yes. You can keep him. Have you picked a name?"

Learn more about this author, Jean M. La Rue.
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