Editorial: Dogs Are Not Toys — They Deserve Our Lifelong Commitment

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At kennels around the world, countless dogs sit behind bars, waiting. Many have been surrendered for reasons that sound all too familiar: their owners grew tired of them, felt inconvenienced, or wanted the freedom to travel without responsibility. Some were simply deemed “too much trouble.”

But for the dogs left behind, none of this makes sense. They wait with unwavering hope that the people they trusted will return. A second, a minute, an hour, a day, a year — they keep waiting.

They do not understand abandonment. They only understand loyalty. Even when left in strange surroundings, their instinct is to believe that someone will come back for them. Unlike the owners who gave them up, they do not stop loving.

Animal welfare advocates warn that this silent crisis is rooted in a dangerous misconception: treating pets as disposable. Too many people acquire dogs as though they are toys, accessories, or temporary distractions, only to discard them when responsibility feels inconvenient.

Yet a dog is not a toy. He is a living being with needs, feelings, and unshakable trust in the humans he calls family. Bringing a dog into your home means taking on years of care, commitment, and compassion — through holidays, hardships, and all of life’s changes.

Every time someone abandons a dog at a kennel, they leave behind more than an animal. They leave behind a friend who once waited at the door, who offered comfort in hard times, who never judged and never walked away.

The message is clear: think twice before getting a dog. Understand the responsibility, the sacrifice, and the lifelong bond that comes with it. Because a dog will never stop waiting for you — and he deserves a family that never stops showing up for him.