What Makes You A Dog/Cat Lover? How Did You Come To Love And Respect Animals?

I have always loved animals, even if I didn't get my first pet until I was five. When I was really young, I would go to this nature centre every week. They had some ferrets, different fish including some native ones, a Great Horned Owl, a rabbit, and I think some Guinea Pigs.

The first stuffed toy I was given was this Snoopy plush, and I like to think that my lifelong love of dogs stemmed from Charlie Brown's beagle.

My first pet was Skeeter, a HUGE grey "Mini" Lop, on Easter when I was five years old. Skeeter was always so laid back, so much so that he would let you hold him on his back, and smart, too! He was litter trained in only a few days. He was a great bunny, and I wish he lived longer than he did (he suddenly died when he was only two years old).

I had a Basset Hound puppy named Darby, who was my first dog, when I was seven years old. I loved her to the ends of the earth, but my parents returned her to the breeder because of housebreaking issues. I begged and begged for them not to do it :(

I got my first rat, Lizzie, when I was eight years old and she fostered my lifelong devotion of these special little pets. I had her for four years until she had to be put to sleep due to cancer. I will never have another kind of rodent, ever.

I got my next dog, Hamish, a Scottish Terrier, when I was fourteen years old, and had him for ten great years. He was an ambassador of his breed, always friendly, loved everyone he met and very friendly. Two years later, we were looking for a second dog to add to our family and fell with Suki, the Shiba Inu. They were inseperable. Unfortunately, due to a number of illnesses, I lost Hamish on October 22nd, 2007. There's not a day that doesn't go by that I don't think about him.

On June 4th, I adopted Matilda, a Rat Terrier mix who was slated to be gassed in a Louisiana animal shelter if Boudreaux's Animal Rescue Krewe didn't step in and save her. She was pregnant (later gave birth to seven puppies), with mange and heartworm and intestinal parasites on top of that. However, she was a survivor and pulled through. When she fully recovered, she was brought up to the Hamilton/Burlington SPCA (where I volunteer at on a weekly basis) where we fell in love with her and adopted her. She is a terrific dog, very sweet natured and she adores Suki.

Ontop of the dogs, I'm also owned by two rats, Timmy and Nigel, and Comet Goldfish and Shubunkins in two outdoor ponds. They all make my life complete and I cannot imagine life without my animals.

In addition to volunteering and owning, I'm a member of the Toronto Zoo who is making great strides in conservation efforts and modernizing out of date enclosures.

NATURE! Either you do or you don't love a dog or a cat. Most compassionate people tend to love animals. All animals deserve to be treated with love and respect just as you do. However I am not a cat lover, never have been one, and won't ever be one though I don't want to harm them or see them hurt either. I picked up a kitten out of the road that was sick, infested with fleas, etc. and found it a home, but that is the extent of my relationship with cats. This is however a DOG board too, and that is why I am here, I am 100% a DOG person.

I have always loved animals too, as a child we always had a dog and a cat they were family pets, my own first pet was a hamster then a rabbit then I was allowed to have a cat of my own he was beautiful siamese mix, it was not until I was 16 years old that my parents allowed me to have my very own first dog who I got from rescue, she was an excellent dog and her influence on me was huge, I became 100 per cent dog mad, I went on to work with animals for a while, I love dogs and like having them around, I like learning about them too, by the age of 17 I had my second dog another rescue, my parents had never had more than one dog in the house at a time however they were fine with my two dogs living there and my boy bonded quite strongly with my dad, he was still my dog but dad and him were good mates too, after these dogs came a staffie who sadly died before she reached 2 years, and my three current dogs, I guess I was born loving animals because I do not remember ever not loving them, I became vegetarian at the age of 6 because I found out meat was animals and just could not eat it. I have brought home animals thrown out by others which my parents managed to find homes for, my grandmother and aunt were also dog lovers and it has been said that I must have some of their genes, my parents also loved animals but not as intensely

Edit with regards to the TC badge yahoo will take it away if you do not regularly come onto answers do you think they are trying to get people addicted?

I have had either a dog or a cat or both since I was born and that was 52 years ago! I like having an animal in the house, they are great company, don't demand anything from you and will listen to you talk for hours if you feel the need to. All they want from you is a warm, dry place to sleep, good food, fresh water and your love and attention. We currently have 2 dogs and 2 cats. At one time we had 6 cats, but old age and illness took most of them.

Well, both my parents grew up with dogs in the household. After they got married, they rescued a Golden Retriever and a Schnoodle, and then I came about. Those two dogs were probably the highlight of my childhood, especially the Retriever. He would let me grab onto his fur while I learned how to walk and get my balance. They were both very sweet dogs. Right now, my mother has 3 dogs and my father has 1, planning on getting another. My aunt has a dog and my other two aunts both have cats. So my family is pretty much centered around pets.

I could never ever stand to hear or see an animal get injured or hurt. It just wouldn't be right. What do you need to abuse animals for? They're all just like children: they can't really speak for themselves and they depend on people for care and comfort.

Growing up there were always animals in our home from cats to dogs to frogs birds ect. I just grew up with pets in my life. As I got older I saw the abuse in animals and what people did to there pets I told my self that if I ever had a pet of any kind that this animal would have the best care possible. When I was 17 I got my first job working as a bather and it just grew from there I worked in a animal shelter grooming dogs that were in horrible condition. I have seen how nasty people are to dogs and the abuse at the hands of the owner and I will never stand for that I will always stand up for a dog cat animal.

Hey Kitten breath;

I grew up with a Golden Ret mix and from as far as i could remember I loved all animals more then anyone else in my house. I was always feeding the stray cats in my yard and sneaking them in so mom and dad didn't see. I just always had a thing for animals...my mom saw it but said I couldn't keep every animal I found.

When i got older ( much older ) I always wanted animals but the timing was never right...I wanted to own my own house with a huge fenced in yard so i could have big dogs, little dogs...all kinds of dogs running around.

I am 34 now and just started getting my dogs when I was 31. It took that long to really be ready to have my own dogs in my own house with my huge fenced in yard. I'm glad i waited because my dogs are healthy and happy and so am I!!

By the way....look who got her TC badge!! You go girl!!

Edit: I did get the email but it was a long time after you sent it...i was on vacation...just got home yesterday. Glad you got the answers you were looking for!

I've always loved dogs since I could remember.

As a child, I read up on different breeds and bought so many dog care books that my parents made a list of books for me before going to the bookstore.

Even though I read so much about dogs, I never had a chance to own a dog. I started volunteering at an animal shelter at the age of thirteen- four years after I was turned down because of my age at an animal shelter in New Jersey- and started realizing reading about dogs and working with them was totally different.

I made a few embarrassing mistakes here and there at the animal shelter and was taught by the other volunteers there.

After my first experience volunteering at the animal shelter, I had a new respect and love for dogs. I had always loved and respected them before, but after actually caring for them for four hours, I learned that they were just like you and me. The only difference was that they walked on four legs and didn't have to pay the bills.

Now I think of dogs like a person and think before handling or caring for them.

By the way, I received my first "official" pet at the age of 9 (or was it 10?). He was a Golden Hamster and I didn't realize until reading about hamsters that she was actually a 'he'.

I was born into an animal loving family.

My dad was the hugest softy and a massive dog lover, he still is.

I get it from him.

I always had dogs growing up. Mainly rescues, that I rescued myself.

I care very deeply about animals. With my current dog his health and wellbeing is as important as my own. I like to think that I give him the best life ever.

As a kid I brought home every stray dog. At one stage we had 4! I'd always get so attached and never wanted to give them back to the owners when we found them.

I had horses, cats, mice, rabbits, birds, fish and of course dogs.

Dogs are my biggest passion.

Im besotted with my staffy. I think he is the most beautiful dog Ive ever seen. We do everything together. We are completely hooked on each other.

Really beautiful story as to how we ended up together, I will tell you all one day.

Take care.

~ Hi!!!

As a kid around 7 years old I started walking dogs to show my parents I was serious. They got me a Golden Retriever named Nute. Then I wanted another dog but they wouldn't let me. So my friend and I built pens in the basement and had 6 Guinea Pigs and about 100 crickets (as pets, because they were 5 cents for 10 crickets) to use the crickets were our pets. I think I was just born with a love of animals. My husband loves animals too, but nearly as much as I do. I like to be surrounded with pets, he would prefer not to be LOL>