Animal stories had never had much of an impact on me ... that was until Christmas Eve last year when we purchased a 3-month-old fox terrier puppy we named Dollar.
We went to the pet shop with the intention of buying a Christmas gift for my inlaws' dog but "nek minnit" we were captured by this black canine with a white spot on his neck. He seemed taken with us as well.
Now when I read stories about how some people treat their animals I have been reduced to tears. I just can't understand it when I think about how much joy Dollar has brought into our lives.
Some people look at me oddly when I talk about a dog bringing joy, but it's true. He is a such a fun dog. He is great company, doesn't talk back, is content to sit on our laps, more than happy to play, annoyingly delighted when he finds out he's about to go for a walk, and if there is food in sight he loves us even more.
We may go a bit overboard with our attention for Dollar - he is certainly treated like a king.
I never used to be keen on dogs or cats but after meeting my husband's family who have always had them I was soon converted.
I used to look for clothes shops when I travel out of town. Now I look for pet shops.
The other week we travelled from Wellington to Lower Hutt with the address of a pet shop locked into our GPS, spending a considerable amount of time looking for toys for Dollar that he took about 10 minutes to chew through.
It makes me angry when I read about dog owners leaving their dogs riddled with mange or injured tied to Rotorua's SPCA gate for staff to deal with. People who treat dogs that way do not deserve the privilege of owning an animal.
When you own a pet you have to take the bad with the good, which may mean forking out to pay the vet when your pet's injured or sick. The only good thing to come out of this story is that at least the dog owners had the decency to leave their pets at the SPCA - somewhere they knew someone would take care of them. But on the other hand SPCA staff and volunteers have enough to deal with without that as well.
Sure our dog has brought joy but I remember being a bit nervous at first as we brought him home, thinking about what was involved in owning a dog. And that's the point - if you're going to own a canine know what you are getting yourself in for as it's not all play and dog biscuits.