Thinking of getting a pet? Read this!

You've heard of pre-nuptial agreements - those lawyerly odes to the sound of ka-ching when a marriage breaks down. It is the considered opinion of many an animal-lover that we have come into contact with, that perhaps we should consider a pre-pet-tial agreement.
It's official! I have a prefish-tial.
You might say that responsibility is not a big word, if you make an attempt at it while still young. For the many families that decide to introduce a pet into their own nest for the very first time, this might be essential to make a success of the whole project.
The question is, should there be training of sorts for people who would like to introduce pets into the household for the very first time? Dr Ellen Kruijning of Al Barsha Veterinary Clinic (ABVC) does not believe that you need training for everything. There's no real training for being a parent either. Says she, "It is important, however, that whenever someone takes on a decision which includes responsibility for somebody's/some animal's life, that they do inform themselves thoroughly on this animal's needs, character and behaviour, as well as the costs involved to ensure its health and wellbeing." That in fact, could prevent the unplanned cruelty that happens when people abandon their pets. There are plenty of well-informed and experienced people around who will happily share their knowledge and experience with you.
From ponies to parakeets, could prospective pet owners be taught what the job will entail? For starters, if people/ parents aren't sure of how living pets will be looked after at home - it is recommended that the kids get a Hatchimal or Furby toy, or Tamagotchi-type of commitment going first.
Says Dr Kruijning, "You cannot really teach responsibility. You can show expectations and give hand outs and hope this other person will get the message, but responsibility is something you have or do not have." In her years as a Veterinarian, she has encountered people with no financial support, "who will do whatever they can to ensure their pet is in good health and prepare for it to safely travel abroad with them." Then there are people who have all the money in the world and will not take on this responsibility. "Not even as an example to teach their children," she adds. Which is not to say that people with money do not care, the good doctor is just showing two extremes to make a point.
ABVC runs a programme with youngsters where they can shadow professionals and thereby get a first-hand taste or experience of what their job could entail. Could the responsibility of looking after a pet have a positive spillover into other areas? Like a life lesson, if you please. Says Ellen, "It is difficult to extrapolate that to other areas, but people who are selfish/irresponsible tend to be that throughout their entire life and in everything they take on. I personally prefer to ensure my success in a different way, by taking on my responsibilities and sharing successes and failures with my friends and loved ones."

Dr Ellen Kruijning of ABVC says:
In ABVC we support kids to make choices that are not easily made in the UAE. There is little exposure for kids to make mistakes and learn. In In Europe, from where I am, it is perfectly normal for kids to work as of the age of 13. Silly jobs, responsible jobs, you name it, it can be done. They might not earn a lot, but they learn each time, not only about the job but especially about life, expectations, rewards, emotion and safety. In our clinic and boarding facility we offer job shadowing and even part time positions for those who stand out.
Kids can do job shadowing and learn in the following fields:
. Veterinarian
. Veterinary Nurse
. Practice Management
. Marketing & Social Media
. Creative marketing & promotions
. Financial projects, budget, cash flow in SME businesses
. Hygiene aspects in Clinic/animal projects
. Safety aspects
. HR-related casework
. Entrepreneurship
. Pet Hotel, scheduling & planning
. Maintenance
Interested students can contact us by sending a motivation letter and details to Celine@abvc.ae. We will then contact them to discuss preferred and possible timing, motivation and parental consent. For job shadowing, a consent from the school should be obtained as we have so many interested students that we need to plan this carefully.
Youth nowadays are very privileged and therefore not motivated to work for the salary offered for most starting positions without any educational background in related fields. They do not see that therefore the interest of the business owner easily shifts to motivated workers with less expectations instead of supporting young students who need to grow up still and learn to achieve, be accountable and take on responsibility, starting with punctuality and presence.
We at ABVC have realised this and like to offer this opportunity and hope that parents will together with us provide a learning environment. With the UAE now offering part-time opportunities, this might start to work in everyone's favour.

"It's a good idea to engage children with responsibility because they will learn to take care of all kinds of animals - not just cute puppies."
Valeria Freundt

"My kids have not worked with any vet per se and K9 only let them volunteer aged 16 and above. But any opportunity to work with animals is such a learning curve for kids. It teaches them empathy and responsibility of course, and the ability to love wholeheartedly. Plus makes them more sensitive and humane."
Nalini Kauffman