Let’s think about this for a minute: God did not design our animals to eat pre-packaged, kibble or pellet-like food. In the wild, dogs don’t tell each other, “Hey, I’m hungry, let’s go to the pet food store and grab us some lunch.”

Americans are more concerned about health than ever before, so we should also have an equal amount of concern for our pets … particularly with regard to the ingredients in their food. We would want the ingredients in our pets’ food to be acceptable for human consumption.

Companion animal feeding has progressed … actually digressed … from table scraps and real foods the family could spare to today’s “100 % complete” processed foods in primarily kibble form, with some canned and semi-moist also available. The foods appear to be scientific and improved, but they’re far worse for the animals.

Some say it started with the Taco Bell dog. A five hundred million dollar ad campaign featured a talking Chihuahua which continually repeated the slogan, “Yo quiero Taco Bell,” which is Spanish for “I want Taco Bell.” Then came the Legally Blond films and the unstoppable Bruiser.

If you decide you want a purebred, make sure it’s because you love the breed, since purebreds are often not as resilient as mixed breeds. Consider carefully why you want a purebred.

There are many myths that abound in the dog world. Unfortunately, each allows unscrupulous breeders to take advantage of eager, prospective puppy buyers.

As many as 25 percent of all purebred pups suffer from genetic difficulties because of bad breeding. And as knowledgeable as you think you are about buying a dog, you could come across one of these poor pups and not even know it.

Earlier this month, an abandoned pug was discovered in a parking lot in Fayetteville, North Carolina. The pug, later named “Bunny” by the Pug Rescue of North Carolina, was found with her vulva sewn shut.

You’ve picked out the perfect puppy. You spent hours on the internet, researching the right breed for you and your family. Then you went from breeder to breeder or humane society to humane society, meeting and greeting pups until you find just the right match. Now what? He needs a name!

Let’s face it … Fido and Fluffy are an important part of your family. Do you want to have to assign a dollar value to them if they become sick or injured?