Interview:
Paws Across Borders
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To be honest, I did have an agenda to write a story about international students’ thoughts and concerns about having a pet in the U.S. It’s my 7th year in the U.S., and I only had a hamster during college. I served it while living and gave proper burial after death. I chose a hamster because it can only live for about 2 years, and I was sure I would stay in the U.S. for the entire time. I never had a dog or a cat here and I always wish to have one. This story gave me a chance to do sufficient research on the procedure of adopting or buying a pet, the responsibilities, and possible sacrifices.
I interviewed 5 international students and Arlington Animal Welfare. The best way to have a pet here in the U.S. is to adopt from animal shelters for several reasons: saving lives, health considerations, reducing cost, and ethical concerns. First, the animal shelter is a nonprofit organization that often has limited space and resources, adopting a pet means giving a home to an animal that might be euthanized due to lack of resources. Secondly, pets in shelters are examined by veterinarians, vaccinated, and neutered before adoption (bigger than hamsters). This ensures that your pet is healthy. If you really want to bring your home dog or cat to the U.S., be prepared to give them more time to accommodate the environment. Adoption fees are typically much lower than purchasing a pet from a store or breeder. Many pet stores source their animals from breeding facilities where animals may be kept in poor conditions. Adopting from a shelter is a more ethical choice as it doesn’t support animal breeding. If you are really into a certain species, be sure to buy it from a certified breeder to ensure the pet’s health status. You may need to pay a huge amount for sick pets. We are all international students and we still depend on our parents for tuition fees and living expenses. It’s not expected for parents to pay off our pet’s medical bills. So it’s highly recommended to purchase insurance for the pets.
How Long Can You Stay With Them Every Day?
Time Comsuming
Change Life Style
We should plan everything ahead, not only financially, including the one-time purchasing or adoption fee, insurance, food, daily necessities, apartment pet deposit rent, etc. Time-consuming is the more significant consideration. Dogs are always more energetic and time consuming, be fully prepared to walk the dog twice a day and to properly train the dog to accommodate the environment. Large dogs should be given more than an hour of exercise every day. Many dogs are unwilling to relieve themselves indoors. If you live in an apartment, take the elevator to walk the dog for a conservative estimate of 20 minutes each time, so twice a day is at least 40 minutes. This does not count the time you play with them. No matter how old a dog is, he/she always has puppy eyes. No matter how long you play with them, they will still beg you to play. Talking about dog training, it’s not just “Sit” or “Shake hands”, it’s important to let the dog get used to the environment and enjoy the world. Also, as a full-time student during your college time, you have to bear the deep guilt of “I haven’t finished my dues yet, so I really don’t have time to play with you!”
We also need to consider holidays and vacations. Are you planning to go skiing, camping, or checking out internet influencer attraction spots during the long weekend? Are you planning on packing up and going home to visit your parents during the winter and summer vacations? It is really difficult to balance the two things of “being able to travel” and “being worthy of a pet”. It is no exaggeration to call cats and dogs furry children. The truth is that raising pets is indeed very similar to raising children. They both tie you to your home. It is okay to take a vacation, but first, you must make arrangements for your children and furry children. There are babysitters to take care of the baby, and petsitters to take care of pets.
After Graduation, can you promise to bring him/her with you?
After graduation, campus love may not result in a positive result. Everyone has different encounters and options. But your pet’s only option is to stay with you. When you choose to raise a pet, you choose to raise a child who will be 4 years old forever. You choose him, and he will love you forever and expect the same love from you. If you are likely to return to your home country after graduation, you need to do research and investigate all the details of bringing your pet back home. Before raising a pet, consider cautiously whether you are willing to go through all the complicated procedures or spend a lot of money to find a pet transportation agency. Also, remember to choose the most convenient route to save your pet from the pain of long flights and quarantine.
"But I really love animals!"
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Make more friends with pet owners. Take the initiative when they need a petitter and shout out “Let me do it!”
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Be a volunteer or foster family of an animal shelter! Petting dogs and cats and contributing to the community at the same time.