It seems a silly question. A pet is a creature that you keep in your home.

Main Entry: 1pet
Pronunciation: 'pet
Function: noun
1 a : a pampered and usually spoiled child b : a person who is treated with unusual kindness or consideration
2 : a domesticated animal kept for pleasure rather than utility

The key word in that definition is domesticated. When we, as humans, domesticate anything, we change it for our own needs. These needs may be physical, emotional, or even sheer aesthetics. The meaning of domesticate is tame.

Main Entry: 1tame
Pronunciation: 'tAm
Function: adjective
Inflected Form(s): tam·er; tam·est
1 : reduced from a state of native wildness especially so as to be tractable and useful to humans : DOMESTICATED
2 : made docile and submissive : SUBDUED
3 : lacking spirit, zest, interest, or the capacity to excite

The point of all of this is to explain my feelings about pets. I have pets because I like them. They fill a large void in my life. However, because I have pets I have responsibilities. I have responsibilities to them, because they would not be here if it was not for my want, and the want of others. Even in passing, we have created these creatures that depend on us, and that responsibility looms large to me.

I got my first dog when I was seven. I had begged my father for years (years to a seven year old may not be a long time) for a dog. I did not say puppy, I said dog. Finally, after my years of begging my father brought home a five-month-old Yorkshire Terrier whom, after a large group of people cooed over her, we named Precious.

We made many mistakes new pet owners made with their pets. I reflect on them and wince at times. We made a mistake before we had her for five hours. Mom brought her into my school where she was picking up. A group of people crowded around this young dog and waved hands in her face, made loud noises, and in general terrified her. Everyone in this group was simply responding to the cuteness of a one-pound dog. But that is a huge mistake to make with a puppy, and one many families repeat across the world every year at Christmas.

My father expected me to quickly become bored with my dog, as is the manor of seven year olds that finally get their biggest dream. Last month, and sixteen years later, he told me that he did not believe I was serious about my desire to have a dog. He especially did not expect it to bud into three other dogs and four cats, and current research into care for freshwater fish tanks.

Needless to say, I did not become bored. I spent countless hours with Precious. I groomed her, trained her, feed her, and worshiped her. To bad she hated me and only wanted to follow and adore my mother. I'm almost over the rejection of my first dog. Precious was put down in November of 2001 at the age of 15.

The suggestion to create this page was made by Azimuth, so all credit for this information being available on the web goes to him.