cover feature story by Bailey Hemphill • photos by Bill Sitzmann
Left: Parker, 8, and Bodie, 11, Harrell
When is the Right Time for a Family Pet?
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kids. During the first couple years of raising toddlers, you were under a lot of stress and had a fairly unpredictable schedule. But now that they’re in school, you’ve gotten into a comfortable routine—breakfast, take the kids to school, go to work, pick the kids up from school, eat dinner, go to bed. It’s about this time that you might be thinking, “Hey, we should get a family pet!” But how do you know if a pet is a good idea? And what kind of pet should you get to fit your family’s lifestyle? Well, there are actually several things to consider before adding a pet to your family. The first is whether or not you have time you can devote to a pet. “Time is the best judge,” says Cathy Guinane, training and behavior coordinator with the Nebraska Humane Society, o you just had
24 HerFamily • September 2013
A lot of thought and discussion should go into this life-changing decision. - Tera Bruegger, director and adoption coordinator with Hearts United for Animals
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