Visit A Rescue Centre. You Could Own Exotic Pets Such As Goats - Or Help Man's Best Friend, a Rescue Dog?

Singapore is holding a pet expo April 12-14 2019. this will appeal to residents, expats, and visitors from other countries.

In every country the type of pets kept varies. In American in Florida people keep crocodiles.
I've read about several cases of people who keep large venomous snakes and big cats and bears and species of monkey which grow large. You read about them in the news when the story does not end well.

You probably know the saying, an Englishman's home is his castle. A castle needs a guard dog. The British are known as a nation of dog-lovers. In England lots of people keep goats. British people have small houses but tend to have gardens, small or large.

Dogs have evolved as pets. A century or two ago dogs were working animals. Sheepdogs obviously were kept to herd sheep. German shepherds became guard dogs for the police. Foxhounds were used to catch foxes which ate farm animals.

My late father told me that in the East End of London his family kept a cat. You did not feed it cat food. The cat's job was to catch mice.

What's wrong with wild mice? They eat bread and rice. If you leave food uncovered, rats and mice will eat it and walk all over it with their dirty paws and fur. What's worse, after eating, they urinate in in your food.

Restaurant hygiene rules includes keeping all food covered, no open barrels of fruit or cereals.
After an infestation of rats in a block of flats in London, we were told to keep fruit bowls on high shelves, never on the ground nor a three-tier wheeled tray system, nor on a kitchen table.

In London you can go to petting zoos in some parks, and some suburban farms.

Goats As Pets
The smell of lots of goats might put you off. On the other hand, goats are very friendly. They have large eyes and engage with you and smile and make funny faces.

Apparently loads of people in England keep goats as pets. Celebrities keep goats. Ordinary people keep goats. People with farms and large gardens keep goats.

Goats are smelly, but friendly. If you fancy having a goat instead of or as well as a dog, then read about other goat owners' experience. Goats live about 15 years, a similar life span to that of a dog.

Disadvantages Of Goats As Pets
Compared to dogs: It is expensive to buy a goat. You can get a rescue dog.

Advantages Of Goats As Pets
You can get goats' milk, which you would not get from a dog. You can eat goat meat, whilst you would be pretty unpopular in many countries if you ate your dog.

Rheas
Rheas look like ostriches. In the UK a small number of people keep Rheas. Once in a while the rheas escape. Rheas are flightless birds. That doesn't stop them running off.

Police warn the public are warned no to approach rheas. Rheas are large and can be dangerous, because of the large, sharp claws. Don't run up close to a rhea. Take a photo with your telephoto lens.
You can see rheas in the wild in America and in Germany. Also in zoos.


Family-Friendly Dogs
Why keep a dangerous pet, when there are so many creatures which are known to be friendly. Even amongst dog breeds, you can pick and choose to find a dog which does not grow large, will not attack a neighbour and have to be euthanised.

Dog-Sharing
If you cannot afford the time and money to own a dog, you can do dog-sharing and have a dog just at the weekends. My family dog-share and take their part time pet away to a dog-friendly hotel for a holiday. If a shared dog's main owner is elderly and dies, the animal is not instantly abandoned but has a friend for comfort.

I think it's a good idea to try dog-sharing before adopting a dog. I have heard of people who adopt a puppy or give one as a birthday present, then find that the animal is not house-trained and they can't stand the mess and give away the unfortunate dog which has to get used to a new home. The RSPCA ran a campaign to stop this happening: A Dog Is Not Just For Christmas.

You can make an appointment to visit a dog rescue centre.

Singapore flag

In Singapore, which is a city state, most people live in flats, especially the government HDB flats. To prevent cats leaping off low balconies, if you live in a flat, you have to install a high grille or glass barrier.
In Singapore you can visit a goat diary, Hays Dairies.  (See previous post on visiting the Hay Dairies in Singapore.)

Battersea Rescue Dogs
You can visit dogs rescue centres in the UK in London, England, and windsor, Berkshire, and Brands Hatch in Kent.

The USA also has rescue dog centres.

Mixed breed dog awaiting rescue in Tennessee, USA. Photo by Maelo from Wikipedia.

For the pleasure of armchair travellers, I have humorous poems on rheas around the web including on my humorous poetry blog.

Useful Websites:
Singapore
Pet Expo
https://petexposg.com/
Singapore Dog Rescue
https://www.timeout.com/singapore/things-to-do/the-best-animal-shelters-to-adopt-a-pet-in-singapore

UK
Battersea Dog Rescue UK:
https://www.battersea.org.uk/about-us/visit-us

USA
https://www.petfinder.com/

GENERAL INFO
Choosing Dogs
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/uk/news/a561691/the-top-10-family-friendly-dog-breeds-for-families-with-small-children/
Identifying rheas and other birds
https://www.hbw.com/ibc/family/rheas-rheidae

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer. Please share links to your favourite posts.