by Elizabeth Wordsmith

Created on: March 27, 2008

As many as 27 million pets are abandoned or taken to animal shelters each year because the owner could not or would not continue to care for them. Many of these animals will be euthanized.

Before getting a pet, determine your level of commitment. While pets can bring much joy to the owner, they are not maintenance free. They require the same level of commitment one would have for the care and feeding of a child.

Often times people will get carried away by the mood when they see a cute puppy or kitten only to discover later that the effort or money involved in the care of their new pet was more than they bargained for. This is such a dilemma filled with angst, guilt, and self-recrimination. The best solution is to prevent this situation. To get a first hand idea of what is involved in owning a pet, some prospective pet owners volunteer to be foster parents for pets in shelters. This is one way to experience caring for a pet without having to make a full commitment or risk having to renege on a commitment.

In addition to commitment, there are many other considerations.

1. What is your schedule? Dogs need to be walked several times a day. Unlike cats who can easily be litter trained, dogs usually need to go outside. It is possible to paper train them, but ever so much easier to take them outside. If you have a busy schedule but still want a dog, it is possible to hire a dog walker. Find out if you can obtain the services of one before making the plunge. And be sure you would be able to fit this expense into your budget. If you travel frequently, animal hospitals have boarding facilities. There are professional dog and cat sitting services. And there are other boarding facilities, too. Some people even take their pets with them. More and more hotels are allowing people to bring their pets now days.

2. Before deciding on the breed of dog, you need to do some reading. Some dog breeds require more room to run and more exercise than others. If you're not up for that, you may wish to get a lap dog or an older dog that isn't as rambunctious as a puppy. There are also other characteristics which may determine which breed is better suited to you and your family. Some breeds make better pets for families with small children than others. Also, some breeds are more prone to certain types of health problems than others which could pose a financial consideration down the road if that problem presents. You will need to decide which gender you want. Whichever you choose, you will

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