2021 ANIMAL STORIES MAGAZINE

2021 PET MAGAZINE LINCOLN DAILY NEWS JANUARY 21, 2021 Page 11 T here are some people who purchase or adopt animals and view them primarily as property. They may still take their pets to the vet or buy them good food and otherwise treat them well. Or, in a more negative way, they may grow bored of a puppy or a kitten as it ages and simply give it up without a thought, or leave it somewhere alone, or worse. For our purposes, though, we’re more interested in a specific kind of pet owner in this equation. Some owners treat pets as family members, and not just a living piece of property. But why is this the case? The reason we bond with animals stretches back to ancient history. Humans are social animals. We don’t just surround ourselves with family; we make friends in a variety of social circles, some of which we grow as close to as if they were family (or even closer than our own biological relatives). For pet owners, this means an animal fills two functions; companionship and some form of living assistance. Some people who are elderly or disabled, or suffer from severe anxiety, or even common medical issues, have pets to assist them in emergencies. There are programs available that help train dogs to fetch medical supplies, or train animals to be emotional support animals. Even without training, some animals perform these types of tasks anyway. To provide some personal experience, my dog Brutus will come find me if he thinks I’m upset. Sometimes he’s heard something else and only thinks something is wrong. But Continue p We are family!