March 23rd is National Puppy Day!

Bright eyes, adorable paws, soft fur, and endlessly twitching whiskers are only some of the reasons we love our pocket pet companions. Rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, gerbils, hamsters, mice, ferrets, and more have been joining families and stealing hearts for multiple generations, and they don’t show signs of stopping any time soon.

In many parts of the U.S., it’s easy for pet owners to forego their pet’s monthly parasite preventatives. After all, who worries about mosquitos or ticks during the frigid, snowy months?

Each year roughly 7.6 million dogs and cats enter animal shelters across the country. Of these animals, only 10% are spayed or neutered upon entering a shelter. Considering the average intact female dog can produce 1 litter per year and the average intact female cat can produce 1-2 litters per year, it’s no wonder there are so many homeless pets in the United States.

In honor of National Responsible Pet Owner Month, we’d like to take a few moments to ruminate on what it truly means to be a responsible pet owner and to consider the ways in which we meet our pet’s many needs on a regular basis.