Happy National Dog Day – August 26,2022

There are numerous reasons to own a dog. They can help combat loneliness and depression, they make perfect exercise companions on your morning jog or bike ride, they’re great stress relievers, and they provide unconditional love. Pets in general are good for your overall health. The most important consideration before deciding to adopt a dog is your commitment level.  It’s all about priorities. Taking a good look at your lifestyle, type of job, and social calendar will give you a pretty good idea on whether or not you’d be a good dog parent. Owning a dog is more than just feeding and walking the animal. You need to be selfless. You need to be the type of person who will do anything to keep your dog happy and healthy. You and your family members need to interact both physically and emotionally with your dog every day. I’d love to have a dog. I grew up with dogs as loving members of my family. Every day I would look forward to coming home from school to play with my dog.  There’s nothing in the world like the deep bond created between a dog and it’s human. Unfortunately, my lifestyle at this time is not conducive to the commitment needed to give a dog what it truly needs. I have lots of love, but not enough time, and that’s just not fair to the dog. Maybe in a few years things will change and I can welcome a new doggie family member into our home. A survey conducted by Top Data listed the favorite breeds here in New Jersey. They are: Chihuahua, Yorkshire Terrier, Shih Tzu, Labrador Retriever, and Mutt. I guess Jersey really loves those tiny breeds. I see an awful lot of Golden Retrievers and Labs in my daily travels, so the tiny breeds were a big surprise to me. If you’re considering bringing a new pet into your home, I strongly suggest adopting one from a local animal shelter or rescue organization. The Ocean County Health Department has info for all of their adoption facilities here:  https://www.ochd.org/animal-shelters-adoptions/ You can take advantage of their “Clear The Shelters” event going on Saturday August 27th through Wednesday August 31st. It’s half price adoptions along with a free goodie bag for your new doggie. Another option located in Brick, N.J.: https://jerseyshoreanimalcenter.org/contact-us/ Here’s a link to a variety of shelters and rescues in Monmouth County: https://www.countyoffice.org/nj-monmouth-county-animal-shelters/ Happy National Dog Day! [select-am am_id="788894" syndication_name="items-make-pet-happier"]