All harmless till you go aww....

I was down at the pet store the other day picking up some stuff for my furbabies when I came upon the ‘Puppies for Sale' section. Now I know a giant protest mob is building up at sight of those 3 words appearing in the same line as ‘pet store' (I can hear their roars of disapproval) but bear with me a second and allow me to explain. I am aware of the issue about the act of buying a pet from a pet store and I can understand the stand behind it but that's not quite what my post is about today. No, that will be another story in another post at another time, so for now try to get past those 3 words and read on. So where was I? Ah yes, the ‘Puppies for Sale' section. Those little puppies were absolutely adorable and they had people of all ages and races swooning over them! A seemingly harmless event and if anything heartwarming! Well I harmless until it gets to the ‘Aww...' part anyways. Yes, you know what I mean. The big ‘Aww...'. Now let's face it, at some point in our lives, we've all been guilty of the line, "Aww...He's so adorable!". Some say it, others think it, but most of us most coo it, but that just because that how puppies are. They're those little balls of fur that came blessed with big innocent water welling eyes, a milky scent and mini paws that can stamp warmth into the coldest of hearts. So what profound effect does one moment of the heart's weakness leave us with? Well for some, none because we snap back into reality and realise the puppy is just an idealised adoration which we're either just not ready to have or we simply do not have the real heart for. So we wish it a good home, wave goodbye and walk away. For others, sadly, reality doesn't come back soon enough and they end up bringing the puppy home, only to have the grand revelation a week later that it isn't what they wanted and more. Puppies are essentially babies, only with a lot more body hair. They need to be fed, washed, picked up after but most of all they need to be raised with love. And it is the latter that is the hardest of all to give because like having children it isn't just about being able to financially support them, it's about being able to emotionally nurture them as well. Feeding a puppy gives it strength to grow, nurturing it gives it growth and those happy, well behaved, well groomed dogs you envy their owners for, they were well nurtured and not well fed. However, as much like children puppies are, children they are not and the human maternal instinct doesn't always kick in to step them up to the plate as responsible caregivers. Instead impatience, anger, rage and abuse are all that ensue resulting in an ever suffering puppy that grows up (if it survives) into a very broken and disturbed dog. It is a fact, although one that many may choose to turn a deaf ear to that ‘problem dogs' with behavioral issue are all the result of abuse, be it physical or emotional. I'm sure the phrase ‘treat the cause not the symptom' is familiar to everyone? Well in essence the moment we give in to the "Aww..." of our hearts, we become possible causes of ‘problem dogs' It becomes our responsibility to love them and nurture them that they may grow up well and happy. A task must easier said than done I assure you which is why we end up with so many abused dogs, strays on the streets and animal shelters overflowing with ‘residents'.

Amazing isn't it how one little word can make the world of a difference.So I say the next time to hear yourself going ,"Aww..." think about what your signing yourself and the defenseless little animal up for. NOTE: The 'Aww...' caution is to be applied at all times when in the company of cute furry or non furry animals ( whichever animal takes your fancy). Applies at animal shelters, pet stores, breeders kennels and all other places that will allow you to take home a pet)