Guilty

I was thinking about how frivolous my posts have been. So I wanted to use the bully pulpit to bully you into thinking really seriously before you buy a pet for a friend (or yourself) unless you believe your friend (or yourself) is really able to care for that animal for all fifteen years of its life. It's a big responsibility. Also, before you buy, consider that there are lots of sweet animals in shelters waiting to be adopted. If you're not ready for a pet who runs all over the place, breaking stuff and chewing your wires, maybe don't buy your kid a puppy -- get a sweet older dog from a shelter. The downside is, pets just don't live long enough. They will break our hearts. But if you are going to get one, make sure it's one you can take care of. Here's a link to Petfinder for some info on adoptable pets.