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Guy Shares The Responsibilities Of Owning A Dog And It Is Something You Must Consider Before Getting One

Owning a pet is a full time job.

It is a huge responsibility and requires all your dedication. You need to take care of their needs, their health, food, and hygiene. Professional basketball player Austin Conway wrote a post about it on Facebook.

“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.”

His post got a lot of reactions and went viral.

Here is Austin Conway and his dog, Stella.

Image credits: Austin Conway

He shared how Stella is too much to handle sometimes.

He continued to make sacrifices for her.

3.3 Million dogs enter US animal shelters every year.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) stated the reasons for people giving up their pets which included them being problematic and aggressive behaviour, the animal grew too big or their health problems were developing too much.

Austin shared about his relationship with Stella, “I actually wasn’t planning on choosing any dog the day I went to the shelter.” “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.”

“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.”

“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,” the man explained.

People still see animals as disruptive and damage-causing.

“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.”

“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.”

He talked about the stereotype regarding “aggressive breed.”

“Some of the sweetest dogs I’ve been around are dogs that are labeled as an ‘aggressive breed’,” he 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 m, 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.”

People appreciated Austin for his words.

What’s your opinion on “aggressive breeds”? Let us know in the comments below.

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