Response to Kim and "Home Visits."

Response #17

In Kim's blog, she talks about pet ownership and how people should be required to follow certain rules and regulations not just when they adopt an animal but also when they buy their pets. Although no one can tell a person how to raise his or her pet, it should be necessary, for the safety and well being of the animal, to set guidelines and rules for the owner to follow no matter how they obtained the animal. Kim suggests all dogs should be required to of through some form of socialization like a school for dogs, specified dog parks, or training classes. Dogs should know basic commands like sit, stay, drop it, and lie town in order to keep them save and others as well. Dogs are social beings and enjoy interaction with other animals. This way, they will not be as aggressive. Dogs and other pets also need to be registered in case of animal abuse situations. It's important to be aware of which households own pets so, if need be, professionals can step in if the dog or other pet is being abused. Also, Kim said dogs and cats should have identification microchips in case they get lost so they can be returned to their owners. Lastly, she brings up the idea of home visits where people go into a home where there are pets and make sure they have adequate food, shelter, care, and a place to get exercise. She then asked, "Do you feel that home visits should be allowed, encouraged, banned or discouraged and why?"

I also think it is peculiar that organizations where animals are adopted require home visits but when people attain pets from stores or through another means, home visits aren't even thought about. Some people see home visits as an invasion of privacy and unnecessary. However, according to PETA, there were 1,880 cruelty cases last year and the majority of those were against dogs. If going into a person's home once a year or every six months, just to make sure the dog is in good hands, could potentially save a life, then it is worth it. When I worked at the veterinary clinic in my hometown for two years, I saw abused animals but, as employees, we did not have the right to say anything since we did not know the actual situation. People abuse their pets without even knowing it by over or underfeeding, by keeping them in cages all day while they are at work, by not letting their dogs out enough times during their day, or by smacking their animals as a way to discipline them. I encourage home visits; I think they should be mandatory and I think every pet should be licensed. Animal cruelty is serious but often overlooked. Any effort to decrease the number of abused animals in the world is something I'll stand behind.

My question to you is: Do you think home visits and other regulations/guide lines should apply only to dog owners or should they be required for all sorts of other pets like cats, rabbits, hamsters, and even fish?