Is owning a pet really beneficial to a family? Can pets teach children? Growing up, I was surrounded by animals: rabbits, chickens, a couple turkeys, multiple cats and dogs. (We didn't live in the city!) When I left for college, I missed my pets terribly. I had never lived in a place with no animals, and dorms don't make allowances for furry roommates! When I married my husband, I got pregnant right away, so there was no time to focus on a new pet. After several years of marriage a friend from church offered us free kittens. We got two - one for each child. My daughter named her fluffy cat Cinderella. My son named his grey tabby Luke Skywalker. And so it began... When my son turned ten, we decided to try a puppy. After much research, we settled on a brindle boxer, who we named Tucker. Our house has never been the same. Two years later when my daughter turned ten, we bought her a white boxer (Kiaya, who turned out to be deaf, but that is a whole other blog topic!) We've also … [Read more...]