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Are you a dog lover who doesn’t have a dog yet? Well, same! Before you actually do decide to get a dog, we feel it’s necessary for you to go through this entire article!
Having a dog is not just all fun and games. There are many aspects to look into before taking on the responsibility of a dog. I mean, you are in fact taking care of another life. And where many people have successfully aced this job, there are many who just can not handle it. Many people ‘invest’ into a dog, in other words, they choose to buy a dog that too, a fancy one. And, after that if it gets too much, they blame the poor souls for causing a mess in their lives. When you get a dog, you need to look after them, care for them, keep them healthy, and happy. Most importantly, you have to give them the lifestyle according to their specific breed rather than making them get accustomed of yours.
A professional baseball player, Austin Conway, shared what it was like to own a dog and live with one. Best of all, he wanted to bring awareness! Scroll down and check out what he has to say;
Here is what he had to say initially;
“I had seen several posts a few days prior to people looking to [give up] their dogs…The reasons behind re-homing were things like shedding, potty-training issues, hyperness, not enough space, difficulty finding rental housing, etc. All of which, in my opinion, are foreseeable responsibilities and factors that should be taken into consideration before making the decision to welcome an animal into your family. So, after seeing these, I just had an urge to create my post about my German Shepherd mix Stella in a way to spread the message that a pet is a lifetime choice.”
According to the ASPCA, The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, about 3.3 millions dogs are sent to the shelter each year in the U.S. These are the dogs that get abandoned for reasons such as aggressive and problematic behaviors, the animal growing bigger than the person expected them to, or even the health issues that people refuse to take care of. Within this number, 620,000 dogs are reunited to their previous families and 1.6 million doggos are lucky enough to be adopted by new ones! Unfortunately, around 670,000 dogs are eventually euthanized. Which is exactly why Austin wanted to raise awareness!
The best part of all was that when Austin met Stella, there was an instant click! Here’s what he had to say;
“I actually wasn’t planning on choosing any dog the day I went to the shelter,” Austin said. “I just happened to see a post on my Facebook about a German Shepherd mix litter that had been surrendered to a shelter close to my college. So, being the German Shepherd lover that I am, I drove over just to look, for fun. Which was a big ‘mistake.’”
Such a small little puppy she was!
“I immediately saw Stella and couldn’t put her down. She was the smallest and quietest one of the bunch and looked to be the one getting the least amount of attention. So, I went from not planning on getting a dog at all, to having her claimed and the adoption deposit paid within 1 hour of being there. Was by far the best decision I’ve ever made.”
Unlike all the other German Shepherds, Stella is an old soul according to Austin.
“She loves walks, but if it’s too long of one, she’s sure to let me know she’s not having it. She’s extremely vocal. It’s one of her best and funniest qualities. She’s needy but in a good way. She always wants to have her paw on someone and hates to be alone. She’s as close to human as I’ve ever seen a dog be. She’s perfect,”
Austin is not the only one who has to face an issue when it comes to renting an apartment when you’re a dog owner. Here are his views about that;
“It’s difficult but do-able. Many apartments have restrictions on ‘aggressive’ breeds. So, the few times I’ve had to apartment-hunt, my list was always extremely small because I’ve been limited to properties that accept German Shepherds.”
Yes, yes it is the perfect picture.
The good thing is, he was well aware of this problem.
“I’ve always done my due diligence and made sure I found any and all apartments in the cities I’ve lived in that would accept her. And from there, I began looking for the best fit after I was certain Stella was welcome.”
Something that we can most definitely agree on with Austin is that renters and landlords can have a better relationship if only they don’t follow the stereotypes. German Shepherds, Pit Bulls, and other large dogs don’t necessarily have to be aggressive.
“Some of the sweetest dogs I’ve been around are dogs that are labeled as an ‘aggressive’ breed,” Austin said.
“However, I also understand rental properties needing to protect themselves from potential liability involving incidents with tenants and their pets. So, it’s an issue that’s definitely not as simple as being black and white, and until the stereotypes around these breeds are gone, I don’t see it changing anytime soon. Just thankful for the rental properties that do allow these breeds to accommodate for pet owners like myself.”
And here is a tip; If you want to rent a place, you can get all the information you can possibly need at The Humane Society of the United States. You can even take help on how to resolve major issues between renters and the landlords.
So, here is a summary; if you want to get a dog, first of all, Adopt! Don’t Shop! And secondly, consider all the possibly options. We would suggest fostering a doggo first and then deciding whether or not you’re up for it all. Let us know what you thought of Austin and Stella’s story in the comments section below. Don’t forget to share this with the your friends and family members who are thinking of getting a doggo!
