Essay: Pets should be treated like family members

Pets should be treated like family members. Do you agree or disagree with the statement? Give reasons to support your opinion.

Some people are fond of animals. They like to keep them as pets in their homes. The most common animals are cats, dogs, birds, and sometimes even fishes. Animals are good companions and playing with them can be a good way of passing time. They are intelligent and become friendly.

They are useful to us in many ways. The dogs guard our homes. Birds and fishes add beauty to our homes. It is a matter of pride for some people to own pets. All don’t have the time and money to keep pets.

The pets too become emotionally attached to their masters. They can very effectively express their feelings and emotions. Their love is selfless. Hence they should be treated like family members.

Sometimes people ill-treat animals or are not caring due to lack of funds or lack of time. Special care has to be taken when they are brought to the house. The animals take some days to adjust to the new home. They become unhappy or mentally disturbed for a few days. They sometimes refuse to eat. They even cry. They fall ill. Sometimes they even die. Hence we must give them all our love and affection. We should take care of their diet. We must bathe and clean them properly and give them medical treatment when they fall ill.

There are instances when people turn out their dogs into the street because they feel they cannot take care of them. Such dogs get upset, terrified, feel lost and often fall ill. They are unable to find food for themselves. Often the dogs of the locality attack them. When cows turn dry or the camels are unable to pull load they are left on the streets to fend for themselves. Very often they die due to lack of food or negligence.

Nowadays people have less time on their hands. Life has become fast paced. People want to make qualitative and productive use of their time. The stress is more on personal development. They would rather learn a new skill or go for some healthy sports. Hence people should think twice before adopting pet animals. They should not change their minds or find that they cannot take care of their animals well.

Animals are living creatures. We have no right to cause harm or suffering due to neglect to them. It is our moral duty to take care of them. Once they give up living in their natural habitat their habits get changed. They lose their natural instincts of hunting or aggressiveness. They become more timid or tame.