Can you relate to this excerpt?
When we talked back, our parents threatened us with military school, but they applaud their dog's incessant yapping as "feistiness." We got grounded when we trashed the house while they were away. When the dog destroys the furniture when left alone even briefly, they count it a poignant sign of devotion.
Then you're most likely an ACDL: Adult Child of a Dog Lover...in need of a support group...and of relating to the entire article.
An interesting discovery from this article is UPenn's School of Veterinary Medicine's Center for the Interaction of Animals and Society. Their commendable goals are the following:
1. Study the positive and negative influence of people’s relationships with animals on their physical and mental health and well being.
2. Investigate the impact of these relationships on the behavior and welfare of the animals involved.
3. Encourage constructive, balanced, and well-informed debate and discussion on the ethics of animal use.
4. Use the knowledge and information gained from this work to benefit people, and promote the humane use and treatment of animals.
Good luck to ACDLs & the CIAS!
