Last night I found myself looking at the Wisconsin Humane Society’s website – had the shelter not been closed for business I might’ve ran down and adopted a tiny bug-eyed dog begging for a home through my computer screen. Getting a dog is tantalizingly simple – you simply fill out an application and pay $250 to the shelter, and voila! You are now the owner.

The truth is that having a pet is a huge responsibility, and isn’t cheap – I’ve heard enough to know about the costs of veterinary care. When push comes to shove it’s not that I really want a dog, it’s just that I realize we won’t have a baby anytime soon and perhaps getting a pet would help fill that void and silence in our house.

Not everyone wants to have children, but since most people do… I can’t help but wonder why we let so many of them grow up without loving homes and without the opportunity to dream big.

Update: Going back and seeing this post is pretty funny to read. Unbeknownst to me only a few weeks later I’d be knocked up. *giggles*