You’ve Got a Friend

Most of here at Smile Sarasota have pets and those for who don’t, it’s only temporary until a new ‘furbaby’ is part of the family. We are starting a little contest today – we are posting photos of our staff’s furbabies on Facebook and asking our social media friends to guess who belongs to whom! We do love our pets! In a Harris poll, 90 percent of pet owners think of their dogs and cats as members of the family. We enjoy their company and we do everything we can to ensure their happiness and well-being.

So why do we love them so much? Wouldn’t anyone want a partner who worshiped them, always welcomed them home enthusiastically, ate gratefully at every meal, was content with cheap outings and presents and gave lifelong loyalty? They have no ulterior motives. They’re all heart and gut. They do what they feel, and they can tell if you’re sad. When they love you, it’s clear. If they aren’t that into you, it’s also clear. There are no guessing games with animals, no human-scale subtleties, nuances or shades of grey. Sure, there can be some mixed signals when you first meet them — when they’re not sure about you, when you’re first starting to build a bond. But once they’ve learned to trust you, they tend to become wholeheartedly obsessed with you — and they have zero interest in “playing it cool,” feigning indifference, or not calling you back. Another thought: If an alien saw a human walking his dog in the park, and observed the human “clearing up” after the dog, who do you think the alien would assume was in charge? Maybe pets keep humans!

All animals are special and they teach us about caring and love. And whether your pet is a dog, a cat, a parrot or a turtle, when you look into their eyes you know you’ve got a friend!