Three Commitments Pet Owners Must Have

JAKARTA - Are you a pet owner? Veterinarian Novi Wulandari shared three commitments that pet owners must have in order to ensure the happiness and welfare of animals while living with their owners.

By fulfilling these three commitments, the owner has fulfilled animal rights which are also regulated in state law.

“First, there must be a time commitment. So when you have a pet, you have to take care of it really," said doctor Novi, who is a member of the Indonesian Veterinary Association (PDHI) as quoted by Antara, Saturday, August 7.

Often without a time commitment, owners cannot maintain the health and hygiene of their pets. When it is in a condition that is not maintained and taken care of, many animals are finally thrown away because they are no longer beautiful or not healthy anymore.

Therefore, time commitment is important to ensure the physical and mental condition of the pet remains good.

Next is a financial commitment, this commitment is related to the cost of pet food, including to check the health condition of the animal regularly.

Animals that routinely receive medical examinations at least twice a year or every six months certainly have a better duration and quality of life.

“This is like giving a vaccine, for example. So don't wait until you get sick before going to the vet. To the veterinarian, apart from meeting the need for vaccination, there is also the need for anti-parasitic which must be given continuously. Even though pets are only in the house, there are often insects that are difficult to see with the eye, such as fleas or worms that can infect the fur," said the woman who is also the Corporate Affairs Manager of PT Royal Canin Indonesia.

The doctor, who graduated from Udayana University in Bali, lastly mentioned the last commitment that a novice pet owner must have is a commitment to be together throughout the life of the pet.

With the latter commitment, it means that pet owners are willing to provide proper welfare not only for themselves as animal owners but also for their pets.

Even in critical conditions experienced by pets, owners must be ready to accompany and care for their fur children.

The number of novice pet owners is increasing every year, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This is because having a pet seems to be able to improve mental health, especially in difficult times experienced globally.

Research conducted by City University Hong Kong in 2021 shows that in 2015-2020 there will be an increase in the number of cat and dog pet owners by up to 250 percent.

Although pets have a positive impact on humans, apparently there are still many pet owners who do not know and ignore the welfare of their fur children.

Therefore, reliable sources are needed that can provide good and correct animal care information so that the animals that are kept get the maximum quality of life.