Can a true animal lover have pets.?

I used to live in an apartment building, where 60% of the people had dogs or cats. One couple had two giant, rail thing greyhounds, they took for a 10 minute walk every day. When you get a pet, you are part of a market for the pet industrie. Same like ivory, for which elephants are brutally destroyed. Can owning a pet really be good for the pet?

Can a true animal lover have pets.?-Myspace pets www.myspace.com

I think you are putting two subjects together that don't belong. First dogs are domesticated and have been for quite some time. You can't compare two industries such as Elephants being killed for their ivory and owning dogs or cats.

See the problem is trying to stop poaching and try to raise the Elephant population. And the other problem is there are too many cats and dogs, to where we need population control.

I think an animal lover must own a pet. Because to me I would rather donate money to saving endangered animals because I really can't do anything else. If I could I would love to buy acres of land and just let animals live on it without human interference. And I would adopt as many dogs as I can to take them out of the shelters and stop having them killed just because they have no place to live.

The action is not to stop doing something, the action is to start doing something. Instead of condemning people for owning pets why don't you go to the shelters, volunteer your time, donate money etc!

Can a true animal lover have pets.?

-(Myspace.com)

Here's a better question for you. What would happen to all the domesticated creatures that cannot survive "in the wild" if people stopped keeping them as pets? Animals and people have been living together for thousands of years. It's good for both the animals and the people most of the time.

Can a true animal lover have pets.?

-(Myspace code myspace.com)

Yes. I don't understand how dogs or cats being 'wild' can be good, since they would be exposed to disease, cruelty and could possibly die. Granted I don't believe that ALL animals should be kept as pets. You need to draw the line somewhere...a Bengal Tiger or Emperor Penguin is not meant to be in captivity. They can rely on themselves. Cats, dogs, and even some birds could survive if they needed to, but basically rely on the care of others. That's why there are animal shelters.
yes who else will look after them they won;t survive in the wild or on their own most would be killed by cars other animals or starve to death.

my pets %26amp; I have 4 of them have a huge back yard to play in %26amp; I feed them the best food out there. they are very healthy %26amp; happy
You could argue with no problem that buying from a breeder is supporting that industry, but what about the hundreds of thousands of people who adopt and rescue animals? A true animal lover has many faces. Some work to conserve the environment for them, some work to provide medicine to them, some work to foster them, some work to rescue them, and some simply have them and give them loving homes for their entire lives. You cannot ask such a subjective question without getting a billion different, subjective answers.
Oh man, i ask myself the same questions every day of my life. I am a huge animal fanatic, and I am totally against animal cruelty. However, I have several pets. Some of my pets I've had since I was a little girl, and so I have to stick with them and take care of them the best I can. However, I have pets that I purchased recently, and I ask myself, "Is this cruel?" Animals should be left in the wild in their natural habitat, but when I see pets at the pet store looking sad and mistreated, I feel as if I can give them a better life so I buy them and give them a better life than what they would have had...but no life is better than living naturally in your natural environment. Therefore, I'm stuck thinking the same things you think...I feel like by buying these animals I am supporting the pet trade, but at the same time, if I didnt' buy these animals then they would be stuck living in minimal conditions at a pet shop, or worse...stuck living with someone who doesnt' know anything about taking care of them.....so I can't really answer your question.
If your killing your pet it would be the same.

Cats and dogs are domestic animals. If you don't look after them they get taken to shelters until they are can no longer be supported, then they are put down.

If you keep tropical wild animals you are definitely contributing to the problem.
if its a cat or dog, of course it's good! just imagine the kind of life the poor thing would have if it were living on the streets - itd be cold, hungry, rabid, and probably end up being put down at a pound. but i am morally opposed to keeping birds and sqiurrels in cages.
Think about it, if they didn't have pets, and no one else had pets, where would all the domesticated things go? Dogs would be shot and things like that.

A lot of people think they're animal lovers and collect them as 'look at this' kinds of things. My mom has 7 dogs now, and three of them I know were a 'look at what I have' effect. Two were rescued from euthanasia.

I currently own three russian tortoises who have a large outdoor pen that is about 20X30ft and almost perfect for their species. I have a water dragon who's tank is a 30gal(he's a baby) and when he grows up, he's being moved into a 8X8X9ft enclosure with a "dragon door" into a cage in the livingroom that will be half the size. I have two turtles that will be in a 1800 gal pond during summer, but live in a 55gal tank and a 90gal horse trough during winter.

I love animals. They are my life. I take care of them, and I am thrilled with taking care of them, I love feeding them, watering them, observing them, etc. If I couldn't have animals becuase i am an animal lover, that would kill me. I need my cats and fish and things like that. They help me thu the day, knowing that a fluffy little ball of fur loves me unconditionally no matter what mood I'm in. And when I get home, I can walk into the house and see all the animals happy to see me. Even my 4 betta fish(in separate tanks!) love to see me!

You can be an animal lover and own domesticated species. You cant be an animal lover and own a tiger. Theres a fine line.
Yo clamy

Simply put---just because there are those people who don't have a clue what they're doing in having pets--- is no sign at all that the population OF pets should be "turned out to the elements" to "fend for themselves"--- this is absolutely ludicrous !! Most people I know that have pets (myself included) take such good care of them and watch over them so well--- that to say that they are like family is to upgrade the status of family !!! My four dogs get better medical care than I do -- for God's sake !!! Have STEAK no less than twice a week and have their very own "gear" (harnesses, toys, pillows, and utensils) !!

The pet supply business in the USA alone brings in the neighborhood of 10 Billion dollars annually !! So, turn them out ?? Guess again !! The better solution to the points that you have made here is to educate and enforce good care of anilmals within the ranks of those who desire having pets with no clue as to the best way in which to provide and care for them !!!!!
Domesticated pets van't live in the wild. Owning a pet is adopting it. Like a child, you can take care of it and raise it but it depends on you to take care of it and make its choices. It cannot walk to the vet itself to get vaccines and if it eats something it shouldnt then at least you are there to take care of it. They can find some food outside but so could you. It is easier when you have a stable lif and you know where you will sleep at night and what and when your dinner will be,right? It is healthy in my oppinion that animals , at least certain ones, are kept as pets. Aligators and tigers are not pets and that is not healthy, but a cat, dog, bird fish, hamster, etc., is a pet.
mine are all adopted and would die if they were to be released in the wild. a true animal lover takes great care of his or her animal friends, mine are all given free time to run around my house, they are not rail thin(which by the way is normal for a grey hound) and i dont let them go a minute without food,water or attention and considering that they have each other(12 birds and a guinea pig) and 3 kids+ 2 adults to spend time with, attention is the last thing on their mind, i think they wouldnt mind a break sometimes!!!! i think is good for the "pet"( stupid word) if is not caught from the wild, and he goes to a home where he is respected and loved.

p.s: i think the word pet is stupid, because i dont love my animals because they "belong" to me, if anything i work for them, i love them because of the way they are.
in my opinion you don't own a pet you are a guardian if you are an animal lover.
One of my dogs was rescued from a shelter, and the other is a Greyhound rescue. Unfortunantly many dogs were bred for a specific "job". If it was not for rescue organizations and people who open there homes to these animals, what kind of life would they lead? My dogs are true family members (we even had to buy a king sized bed to accomodate us and our dogs, who won't sleep anywhere else.

The problem is not people having pets. There will always be a pet industry. We can do our part by supporting adoption instead of buying from breeders. Mutts and rescued animals make just as good, if not better pets than pure breeds.