Take responsibility when taking in a pet

The response to the Daily Herald's recently completed three-part Pets in Peril series has been heartwarming to say the least.

Each part generated most-read status on dailyherald.com, no easy feat for a lengthy project. And each sparked voluminous comments online, virtually all of it positive and some of it downright inspiring.

The series by staff writer Sue Ter Maat and staff photographer Laura Stoecker chronicled the journey of almost 50 animals from an animal pound in downstate Benton, where they were slated to be euthanized, to the Chicago area, where they had a chance to find new homes and a second chance to live.

It is a poignant package of stories that can still be found on dailyherald.com in traditional text and photos and also in four separate videos.

It tells the stories of these endearing animals, the stories of kill shelters forced to handle an overpopulation of pets, the random choices that mean the difference between life and death (dogs with black fur, for example, are less apt to be adopted than, say, golden retrievers, and are therefore more likely to be euthanized) and the heroic efforts of Illinois Animal Rescue, one of several organizations that work to save the lives of animals slow to be adopted.

Ironically, the call to action provided by the series can in some ways strike at the same understandable human urges that often lead to dogs and cats winding up at a shelter.

Who, after all, can take in these stories without the thought striking that, "Maybe I should adopt one of these poor abandoned animals?"

A good and humane thought. But if it's one that occurs to you, also stop for a moment and make sure you are aware of and willing to accept the responsibility of caring for a pet.

This isn't to belittle the impulse. Our series recounted several examples of both adopted pets and their owners benefiting from newfound loving companionship. It's just to emphasize that owning and caring for a pet means taking responsibility for its well-being and its life, and while tremendously rewarding, that can be a weighty responsibility with unexpected demands and expense.

Our intent here is to encourage pet adoptions. But also to encourage the prior thought that needs to be put into them.

After all, for the most part, animals who wind up at shelters have been disposed of because their one-time owners gave no thought, prior to getting a pet, to the work that is involved.

They demand time and attention. They demand training, walking, socializing. If that's not provided, the result can be sofas, pillows and clothing torn to shreds or carpets ruined. And ultimately, frustration and abandonment.

The true lesson of Pets in Peril is this: By all means, adopt a pet, but also make the commitment to lovingly care for it.

And make sure it is spayed or neutered to avoid contributing to overpopulation that leads to hardship and heartache.