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Pets for Kids
Kids Love Animals.
It's a fact! Every vet, zookeeper, rescuer, and animal lover started out as a kid who loves animals. As an organization started by two educators who met working at a nature center, Lost Woods places a lot of value in the experience of connecting young people with animals. Through guided interactions with animals, people of all ages can learn how to treat others with respect, and to respect and admire the world around them.
Unfortunately, most of the animals we get relinquished to the shelter are former children's pets. The number one reason we get for why owners are giving up their pet is that "The kids lost interest"
Kids are kids. They are growing and changing massively every day and with that, their interests also change every day.
The parts of their brains that understand responsibility and cause-and-effect are still developing. For these reasons, it is inappropriate to expect a child to assume full responsibility for an pet.
That being said, we encourage families with kids to consider adoption, more so than many other rescues, because there is nothing like the experience of a family pet for kids to learn how to be responsible and care for others, especially when that pet is rescued.
But it is essential for parents to think of it as a learning experience for the kids rather than a test of responsibility. It is not fair to an animal to be used as a "test" to see if the children can be responsible. Parents need to guide and mentor the kids through every aspect of pet care, to ensure that the right lessons are being taken away from it, and also that the pet is being properly cared for.
So please! Adopt a pet for the family. But know that the family will need an adult to be responsible for the care, handling and well-being of that pet. By guiding kids to care for animals the right way, we can create a future of humans who have great relationships with animals and with the world around them.
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