Hello Animal Lovers! This week’s Weekly Wag is dedicated to eCollegeFinder and students. The eCollege Award Series nominated Touch of Home Pet Care blog for the eCollegeFinder Top Pet Blogs Award! May is National Pet Month and to celebrate they are recognizing bloggers who show a love of pets in their writing. I have been asked to write a student-targeted blog post asking the question “What would you say is the greatest benefit of owning a pet?” The answer in two words is unconditional love!
I am an animal welfare advocate, pet care provider and volunteer for a “bully” breed rescue. Your pet is a member of your family. I have two rescued dogs, one foster dog, two rescued kitties and one elderly Siamese 
cat. I love all my pets very much and they make me smile all the time. All my clients treat their pets as a member of their family and choose a pet care provider wisely. Pets come in all shapes, sizes and personalities. Pets can be given as a gift, adopted or bought in a pet store. I recommend adopting, they are healthy loving animals who are looking for their forever home. Pet store dogs come from a puppy mill where dogs are a commodity for breeding and not treated as a loving pet!
When I have a rough day I can count on my pets to forget about my troubles. I love just watching them play throughout the day, they do the most hilarious things. My year old rescued cat was raised with dogs and thinks she is part of the pack. My adult rescued cat loves to give head rubs. My golden will always greet you with a toy in her mouth. My shih tzu is a social butterfly and when I have been on the computer too long she has the cutest little bark. My foster is very skiddish, a work in progress socializing. She has come a long way in the 3 short months we’ve had her. Pets are a great stress reliever and many are therapy dogs going to hospitals and assisted living facilities with positive effects.
You do not need a lot of money to make your pet happy in these hard economic times. For example, I took my Golden Retriever to the beach the other day, her favorite place. I took her in when she was seven years old, now she is ten. This is the Happiest Place on Earth for my golden. Your dog needs a good diet, they are carnivores not vegetarians, (some veggies are good) exercise and lots of love. You can browse through my categories or feel free to ask me any questions about pet care.
May is National Pet Month, a time to celebrate the pets in our lives or that special pet we are looking forward to getting. Always take some time each day to “be” with your pet, walking, playing, or watching TV together. Remember your dog’s mind needs stimulation, buy or make an interactive game. Whether you have a horse, dog, kitty, turtle, rabbit or guinea pig, your pet loves your attention. Make the proper habitat for your pet and feed a good diet and add love.
Please remember to cut down on pet overpopulation, have your pets spayed or neutered. If you are looking for a pet, some things to consider are: pet’s activity level, size of pet, other pets already in your home, environment for the pet and cost. This should be a life-long decision and not based on a cute face that will grow up sooner than you think. Three important words for a happy pet, socialize, socialize, socialize. Pets are a part of the family and should be a family decision. Adopting or fostering a pet is one of the most rewarding things you can do. If you cannot own a pet, consider volunteering for your local shelter or rescue group. If you cannot afford a pet consider fostering as the food and vet bills are covered by the rescue.
Teach children to respect animals. I see so many children run up to my dogs, which is not a problem, but other dogs it may be. I always tell them don’t run up to dogs and ask permission to pet them. My shih tzu was abused when we took her in and would snap at children running up to her and touching her. (She is fine now) I hear parents tell their children don’t ever pet a dog you don’t know. Let’s find a middle ground. My youngest child just finished her degree in criminal justice to become an animal control officer. She is in the photo above passing out treats to our “zoo”. I hope someday there will no longer be a need for shelters or rescue groups!
Five Tips for Raising Humane Kids/ASPCA
touch of home 
Hi! this is a link of a video with a dancing dog that you can post on your blog:
Thank you!
Great post by the way!