| Taking responsibility as a pet owner | |||||||
| by BUDDY AMATO | |||||||
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This article is to inform the public on the laws that you must follow that revolve around you and your pets. Many people just do not understand the laws that govern ownership of pets, which, when they find out the hard way unfortunately, is an expensive proposition and one that can leave them with a criminal record. For the most part, people can be educated and, like I said before, some people just don't know they are required by law to provide certain things for their animals just like they are required by law to provide certain things for their children. Under Title 4 (the laws that govern animal cruelty penalties), your pets are considered much like your children. Because of that, you are required to provide proper sustenance such as food, water, shelter and veterinary care. These are the basic elements that are mandated by law. Food is just plain common sense. If your pet is getting thin, you are not feeding it enough or it may have underlining issues such as vet care, worms or other parasites that are causing the weight loss. This would be when the vet care comes into play. Water is also required and must be accessible to your pet 24 hours a day. That means if you leave your animal outside, it must have access to water and the excuse that the dog tipped over the water bowl doesn't fly. There are ways of preventing that such as using non-tip bowls , ensuring the bowl has a rubber ring on the bottom to prevent moving and the like. Shelter again is a simple thing. It means if your dog spends time outside other than going out to do its business and then coming back in, you must provide a proper doghouse. A picnic table that happens to be in the backyard or a deck that your pet has to crawl under does not fit the bill. A doghouse is just that, someplace where the dog can get out of the weather and out of the direct sun to gain access to dry shelter. It is summer time and I have to bring up one thing that is very important to know - the dangers people put their dogs in if they leave them unattended in the car. It is plainly and simply against the law to leave your pet in a motor vehicle under inhumane conditions. Many people argue over what is inhumane, so here's a solution - sit in your car with the ignition off so you cannot operate your air conditioner, crack your windows a few inches and even put a bowl of water on the floor so when you start getting thirsty you can drink it and see how you feel. If it is 85 degrees outside, that means the temperature in your car after 15 to 20 minutes will be close to 100 degrees. The water that you so thoughtfully put out is going to be so hot it will only add to your anguish. This is what your dog or pet will experience and, to add to that misery, your pet cannot comprehend, like you can, why it is going through this torture. You are not doing your pet a favor by bringing it with you, when you are having your nails done or when you are food shopping. People always say, when caught doing this, that the pet was only in the car for a few minutes, which is the equivalent of a drunk driver stating he or she only had two beers. Grandmaster Buddy Amato operates Amato's Karate and Weapons Academy, 589 Palmer Avenue, West Keansburg and is the author of Buddys Animal Kingdom. For more information, call (732) 671-9555.
Copyright Buddy Amato Amato's Goju-ryu Karate, Nunchaku, Bo-staff, Aikido, Sword, Kendo, Sais, Kick-boxing, Tai-Chi and more 589 Palmer Ave, Keansburg and is the author of Buddys Animal Kingdom, NJ 07734 (732) 671-9555 |
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