wcocaboose wrote:Pets:
These are one of the greatest thread generating traps available in the instance. They will often reset enrage timers completely, and are capable of applying the laughter buff. This is a buff for both your child and yourself. This buff, decreases or resets enrage timers, and tank rage, as well as increases overall happiness This increases all players enjoyment of the instance.
Eh. This one bothers me a little. I have seen far too many instances of parents buying their child a pet and washing their hands of it, and the pet ending up on my table as a result. I've had to euthanize multiple animals - far too many - for child-related injuries, like a toddler or young child yanking on a dog / cat's tail hard enough to sever the spinal cord or cause significant damage to internal organs. I've seen dozens upon dozens of 'accidental' poisonings, where children have fed animals toxic food (like chocolate).
Two weeks ago I was even working behavioral therapy on a dog with severe aggression issues, because the owner's three year old child had been throwing rocks at / hitting the dog for so long, it finally snapped and tried to eat the child. I would too, if I was that dog, and yet, this young dog is the one I'm probably going to have to euthanize, when it should be that useless, spoiled brat of a child I put my needle in.
Despite the common adage, children and pets do not mix well, for one very specific reason; children lack the respect to recognize the animal as another living being. They treat it as a toy, especially when it is given as such by their parents. Children should not get pets until they are older, and absolutely, they need to be either supervised, or taught the proper way in which to handle animals.
Because, sadly, most people do not bother, and then I have to kill their animal.
er of proper teaching of the children, and responsibility of parents. My 2 yr old niece, loves to play with the family dog, she learned very fast though that she doesn't ride him, hit him or choke him. Even at that young age, they can understand no. We also try to discourage letting her feed the dog. A couple times she's wanted to be the one to give meeko his biscuit, and while he know to take it gently from her, she doesn't understand yet what she can and cannot give to the dog. (Raisins are no longer allowed in the house 
)
), and I do work in a critical care and emergency hospital. I don't deal with mundane tasks like vaccines and flea treatments; cases I deal with are hit-by-cars, cruelty cases and abused animals, poisonings, or surgeries beyond the scope of your local family veterinarian, like gastroplexies. 
