Pet ownership while in college requires time, love, money

Nearly every day when I leave my apartment complex I see a dog tied to a trampoline without any food, water or shelter, and I am amazed at the neglect. 

Being a pet owner myself, I know how much work having an animal can be. I don't think that everyone has been clued in on that fact. 

Responsible pet ownership is a big deal. Animals are living creatures and need to be taken care of. 

I hate when I see an animal not being treated as it should be, and unfortunately I see it a lot here at UTC.  

I know a lot of college students get a dog or cat just because they can. What most students don't think about is how much time and money goes into caring for another living being. Not only should an individual love their pet, they should also show it affection.

 An individual has to buy their pet food, toys, medicine, make sure it has adequate exercise, take it to the vet for simple checkups and so much more.

Let's face it, the cost of having a pet racks up pretty quickly and that is if the pet stays healthy. The cost of treating a sick animal can be hundreds or thousands of dollars. 

Pets are not a toys. If you can't afford a pet, then do not get one. 

Having a veterinarian as a mother, I hear countless stories of college students getting a pet. 

She said that it is a tendency for college students to get a pet as another step of being a grown up and living their own lives separate from their parents.

Students soon realize that they don't have time or desire to properly care for a pet and want to give it away or just drop it off on the side of the road. 

How would you feel if your parents decided they didn't care for you anymore, took you to the doctor and just left you there in hopes another family will take you home? Or worse, took you to a foreign place and left you there, with nothing. 

I do not want to sound like an ASPCA (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) advertisement, but nearly five to seven million animals enter an animal shelter every year. 

Of those, three to four million are put to sleep. To make it a little easier to understand, five out of every ten dogs, and seven out of every ten cats lose their lives just because they do not have a home. 

Also, a pet is not an accessory nor does it require its own accessories. Sweaters do not belong on dogs, and dogs do not belong in your purse. It is inhumane to bag a dog.

If you do not have the time to dedicate yourself to a living animal, then maybe you should invest in a stuffed one.