Do you actually need a pet? Lets have a talk-

Since the holidays are coming to an end, I wanted to talk about rescuing pets. It’s only January 5, and I’ve already been asked to take in four new animals.

When I first moved into my house, I was left with a few stray sheep. They constantly escaped, and I had to chase them down, usually with my entire family helping. I tried for three months to get them to like me. Honestly, I didn’t even want the sheep—they were simply abandoned at my house. Eventually, I called a friend who raises sheep and asked if he’d be interested in taking them. He mentioned he had a donkey he was also trying to rehome, so we made a trade. That’s how Carl became my first animal.

Not long after, my boyfriend surprised me with Charlotte, which he knew I had been preparing for. I was completely happy and content with her, my birds, and my dogs. I figured I’d get more animals eventually, but I wasn’t actively looking.

That changed when I saw a Facebook post in Rome, GA. A family was giving away their pet kune kune pigs—the same breed as Charlotte. I have a soft spot for animals losing their homes, so I told my boyfriend we had to go get them. We drove an hour and a half that week, and that’s how Abby and Addison came home with me.

A few weeks later, I saw kittens posted on Facebook and picked up two—Cleo and Calypso. I was certain I was done after that. I told my family and my boyfriend there was no way I could take in more animals. I was happy with what I had, and maybe one day, when Charlotte was old enough to breed, I’d get a male.

I wish I were kidding when I say that a week later, someone reached out about a male kune kune they could no longer care for. I picked Cooper up in a dog crate and brought him home. Once again, I told myself there was no way I was getting more animals.

That lasted about a month and a half.

One day while I was doing homework, a friend called me. They had a creature they didn’t know who else to call about—the owner had been letting him run the roads for weeks. That’s how I ended up with Dennis the Menace.

I’m not saying I’m better than anyone. I started this story by admitting I gave up on the sheep. But animals aren’t decorations or temporary pets—they’re living, breathing beings. They are not gifts. I get calls at least once a week asking if I can take in another animal. Sometimes I can, and sometimes I can’t. Animals require time, care, love, and—most importantly—money. Moving is extremely stressful for grown animals. When I got Abby and Addison, earning their trust was hard. They escaped constantly, and some nights I just prayed they’d come back because I couldn’t find them. Now, they won’t leave me alone. Dennis is still adjusting. He only lets me in the cage with him, and even then, we still have bad days.

This past Saturday, my boyfriend and I were having lunch when his friends called asking if I could take in four bunnies. They’d been found in a box on the side of the road. At first, I told Colby I wasn’t sure—I’m in the middle of building a new coop for Dennis and the chickens, and then I still need to build a bunny cage. But I couldn’t say no. It wasn’t their fault, and it definitely wasn’t the bunnies’ fault.

Thankfully, I had friends who were looking for bunnies, so I’m only left with one. Still, I cannot understand how someone can abandon animals that have been cared for their entire lives—animals that don’t know how to defend themselves or survive in the wild.

And the list of animals I’ve taken in doesn’t even start with Soot and Cedar. When I lived at home, I had geckos, hedgehogs, and whatever else people were giving up.

This isn’t a post to say, “Give me your pets when you get tired of them.” It’s meant to make you think before you buy an animal. Are you willing to care for it for its entire life? To love it, provide for it, and show up even when you don’t feel like you have anything left to give?

That’s what having a pet is—loving something even when you feel like you have no love left.