(thinking about my dog and his service cat) Service animals. not just guide dogs and service animals for the disabled, I'm talking about the 'support' dogs and therapy animals who give emotional and mental support and stability.
....and one can't just pick up any old animal and make it a 'support/service animal,' with all the bells, whistles, and vest that allows them to go to places that ordinarily ban pets from entrance, such as stores, medical clinics and the rest. One must have a large population to choose from, a population of animals that have been bred to, and become accustomed to, living that intimately with humans.
They are, true, ALSO fun to watch and play with, but as I wrote earlier, that is a secondary, lovely surprise.
Huh. Y'know, I never had a dog until three years ago, when something just told me that I had to visit the local animal shelter. Someone had turned in a litter (TEN puppies!) of mixed breed dogs. They were all about six weeks old, perhaps younger. They were mostly shetlands. I, of course, picked the smallest one. I only was able to keep Belle for a bit over a year before she ran out of the house and got hit by a car. It was devastating. Two months later I went back to the shelter and came home with a Chihuahua/cairne terrior mix, and he's been a vital part of my life for two years now. I'm not 'entertained' by him. I NEED him. Chemotherapy is a ..(insert appropriate but descriptive curse of your choice). He's my 'therapy' dog.
If people didn't keep pets, so that Dobby wouldn't have been born, I wouldn't have that solace.
...and people have had dogs almost as long as there have been people. Dogs, it seems, are an integral part of being human. So, evidently, are cats, parrots...whatever. Humans NEED them. They are not a luxury item, and if it ever comes to the point where we literally can't afford to have pets, the human race would be in a great deal more trouble than can be fixed by not having them, that is certain.
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