National Child and Pet Day is April 26th
This Saturday, April 26th, is National Child and Pet Day! Not only is this a great holiday to share with your kids, but the fact that it is a national holiday speaks for itself! Colleen Paige, founder of this holiday, sees children and pets as sharing a magical bond that is unlike any other connection between two souls. I admire her for understanding that children do have special connections with pets and it’s important to encourage it. And why shouldn’t we? We have national holidays centered on drinking and making fools of ourselves at bars. This is a day where we are promoting the importance of children respecting their pets and I am all for it!
One of our best friends.
In today’s society there is so much violence and hate; if we let children express themselves through their relationship with their pets maybe the world would take a turn for the better. Pets also teach children responsibility; it sends a positive message on how to treat living things. I am 23 and I believe my generation is extremely disconnected from mother-nature and the environment. We are so self-centered and focused on materialistic things, instead of extending an olive branch and making the world a better place. This may sound cliché but I’ve had pets all my life, and growing up in an environment where we respect the things around us and are conscientious when using them, I want to keep making a difference. I may just be a tiny piece of the puzzle, but having a respect for animals and the environment all started from having pets.
And who doesn’t love pets? I have one of my rescue dogs on my lap right now as I write this and she means the world to me. She was abandoned and found in an old run down building by herself. In this case I thrived from someone else’s mistake; they may have abandoned her but adopting her was my gain.
If we teach our children early on that hurting animals or any living organism is wrong, maybe we could instill this idea of respect on the rest of the world and show people how amazing animals really are. Maybe, just maybe, people would think twice and not abuse an innocent creature, stop hoarding them, fighting, abandoning, and breeding them. This applies to all animals and not just dogs and cats.
Start your child out with a fish or a hermit crab and let them see the magical connection they will create with it. As they get older, move on to a different pet but, such as a rabbit, dog, or cat, but always remember to take care of it and never neglect it. Yes, it is cool to have a pet, but it is even cooler to have a pet that you can say you take care of and truly love. Celebrate National Child and Pet Day this Saturday and see the sparkle in your child’s eye as they take time to remove themselves from phones, video games, TV, etc. and you’ll be surprised how much fun they have!
-Posted by Laura K. of Cold Nose Lodge