By Pamela Chao

Scott had to turn his head away while the needle penetrated; with a sobering voice, he kept saying, "I am sorry; I am so sorry." As soon as he returned home from the vet, this six-foot-two-tall man collapsed into tears after putting Jackie, his kitty cat to sleep.
Jackie had not cleaned himself or eaten for two days. Scott noticed that he had a hair ball in his mouth, as he looked closer, he found out it was blood. After that he rushed Jackie to the vet and discovered Jackie had cancer under his tongue. There was not much Scott could do except put him to sleep.
Linda just got back home, after saying a quick hi to Scott, she started to look for Jackie, "Come on baby, Mommy is home, where are you Jackie?" Well…she cried four days after she was told that Jackie was put to sleep.
It was a true story; the reason I brought this up is because often times, we take relationships for granted and fail to cherish what we have until it is too late.

Love and figures
Love is a universal language. It is perhaps one of the most popular words we use on a daily basis, each day there are over 20,000[1] people searching for love.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, if you are in your 20's and you are single male, then you are more likely to look for love.
While more and more people say I do at a later age[2], pet ownership is increasing. A recent survey conducted by the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (APPMA), in 1988, the first year survey was conducted, 56% of U.S. households own a pet compared to the 63% present day."

Lasting Bonds
The simple truth is that Americans live far more than subsistent; we often lost the touch of our inner self. In this nothing is built to last era, the human-pet bond relationship becomes stronger in Americans' lives than many realize. More empty nesters, young couples or single professionals are substituting children with a pet.

A recent survey conducted by the American Veterinary Medical Association, "The strong growth in the industry demonstrates what an important role pets are playing in the lives of Americans…they have become a part of the family."

Another survey conducted by the APPMA, revealed 57% would prefer their pet as their only companion if they were stranded on a desert island. It is not uncommon for a pet owner to call back home and leave messages on the answering machine while they are away, or saying "I love you" to their pets several times a day.

Some pet owners are willing to reach deep down into their pocket to have a birthday party for their pets; others will send their pet for a massage session. To some, these behaviors may seem "queer" and some even wonder why people would do so much for their pets.

The reality
Pets offer far more than return, they greet us at our ups and downs, waiting faithfully behind that closed door day in and day out. Unfortunately, their love for us can't even earn them a permanent space in our heart.
According to The Human Society of the United States (HSUS), 6-8 million of our furry friends end up in shelters, and about 50% of them are euthanized. As one of the richest and so-called-animal loving nation, we really need to look at statistics seriously.

Learn to love
Each day some are loosing their loves, while many are looking for new love all in the wrong places. Single ads are flowing just about everywhere and anywhere, how many of us have realized and cherish our best friend(s) - the inspiring, fascinating, and more importantly, adorable friend who providing nothing but unconditional love.
Love is a lesson and a long time commitment. Learn to love your best friend(s) with all your heart and with devotion because to them, the bond between you and him/her can be best describes as "for richer, for poorer, in sickness, and in health, to love and until death do us apart."

Footnotes:
[1] Figure obtained from the Web CEO.
[2] According to the U.S. Census Bureau, "the proportion of women 20 to 24 years old who had never married more than doubled between 1970 and 2003 -- from 36 percent to 75 percent. Changes were also dramatic for men -- the corresponding rate for men in this age group increased from 55 percent to 86 percent."
About the Author

Pamela is an animal lover, also owner of the PetAdorn, an online pet store specializes in products such as dog hats, hair accessories, barrettes clip, apparel and costumes in sports, holiday, and patriotic themes.

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