By Bob Pendergrass

Rowan Animal Services Director

Pets come in many sizes, breeds, species and kinds.

Statistics from the 2007 National Pet Owners Survey show that for overall numbers of one type of pet in the United States, by far the largest number belongs to freshwater fish.

Of course most people who have aquariums keep many fish in one aquarium. And aquariums can often be kept in apartments and places that are not the best for other pets.

That same survey showed that American pet owners kept 88.3 million cats, 74.8 million dogs, 16 million birds, 24.3 million small animals (rabbits, hamsters, gerbils, etc.), 13.8 million horses, 13.4 million reptiles and 9.6 million saltwater fish.

One thing that is apparent to me over the last 21 years working with animals for Rowan County is that regardless of the type of animal a person chooses to keep, sometimes there seems to be not enough advanced planning.

Often a decision is made based on the “cool” factor of a pet without finding out exactly what that animal may need as an environment, which could include many different factors such as social attention, space, exercise, grooming, specialized food, heat, cool, light and many other things.

Choosing the wrong pet can make for a poor life for the animal. A Siberian husky is not designed to live a comfortable life outside in the heat of a North Carolina summer.

Neither is a small, short-haired dog designed to live outside in our winters.

It’s not just a factor of how much we love the animals or even want to have one; we have to be prepared to provide for their needs.

Often Hollywood causes an interest in a particular breed or type of animal. When I was young, Disney’s “101 Dalmatians” and “That Darn Cat” caused the popularity of Dalmatians and Siamese cats to go through the roof. 

Americans, by the way, are not the only society subject to this situation. A 1977 Japanese anime TV adaptation of American author Sterling North’s story of his pet raccoon Rascal led to the importation of hundreds of raccoons into Japan.

While very cute on film and as a cartoon, raccoons do not make good household pets. Many were released and have established a feral population that is causing problems for Japanese wildlife, farmers and property owners.

Back in the earlier days at Dan Nicholas Park Barnyard, we kept a room of abandoned exotic pets that was used as a display to show people what some popular exotic pets needed and how they may not be such a good choice for most.

A great example was our iguana. He was about 5 feet long and, like most adult male iguanas, a little bit ill sometimes. Armed with tree climbing, non-retractable claws and very serious bite strength, he was not the best pet for cuddling.

Of course he was pretty cool to look at. But even at that he needed his space to be heated always to 85 degrees or better, special sunlight equivalent lighting, and higher humidity. And at 5 feet, he really needed a cage that was a least large-closet-sized.

With certain animals, little details that are forgotten can be a big problem.

Once, years ago, we got a call from a gentleman in Winston-Salem who wanted to give us a beautiful 13-foot-long Burmese python. We had no place to house the snake at the time, but I offered to transport it to another snake lover in Raleigh.

He had owned the snake from a hatchling and had built a very nice large housing for it inside of his house. One day, he had come in to feed it. Prior to opening the feeding door, the man had been handling the food for the snake. When he opened the door, the snake smelled food, saw movement, and struck the man in the chest and did its best to take him down and start constricting him.

Fortunately, the man was a large muscular guy and most importantly, the snake did not have a good hold and he was able to get free. He was alone in the house and that situation could have ended very differently, but he was lucky. This was not because this was a bad snake. Snakes are just working mostly on senses and instinct. It was just trying to get its food. The details do matter.

So expectations of behavior also really matter when choosing a pet. Some dogs are designed to be lap dogs. Some dogs are designed to be working dogs. If you have a small apartment or don’t live where you can provide a large exercise area or don’t have the time to really provide exercise, then an Australian cattle dog or some other hard-working, mentally driven dog breed is not for you.

Many experts consider the best family pet to be a mixed-breed dog. However, if you are determined that you want a pure breed, always make sure to research the behaviors and needs of that breed before you make your choice.

Another really important thing that deserves your attention when looking at pure breed dogs or cats is to take a close look at where you are getting the animal. Some breeders are just people that love animals, love a particular kind of animal and want to share that love with the world.

Some, though, just like the financial benefit of breeding a costly, highly desirable item that they can sell. So be responsible in your choice.

Ownership of pets can bring great joy to your life. You can bring joy to them, as well. When you make a choice to own a pet, choose carefully and wisely so that all will benefit.

Pendergrass is director of Rowan County Animal Services.