Neighborhood-Kids All Local. All for Kids. All the Time.

Pets

•   Learn About Dog Fostering in Bellingham
  

  Animals can make an amazing addition to a family. Taking care of a pet can help kids learn responsibility and medical research has shown that animal companionship can improve a person's lifelong physical and mental health. If you’ve considered adopting a rescue dog from a local shelter, take a moment to consider a similar but less permanent option with dog fostering. Naomi Pollack of the Alternative Humane Society offers some insight into this program.

•   Is a Pet the Perfect Holiday Present?
  

  Picture it. The kids wake up on Christmas morning. You hear them scurrying out into the hall. “It’s Christmas!” they cheer as they burst into your room to help you throw off the covers and pull you out of bed. They stampede down the stairs and you hear their joyful squeals when they discover a puppy waiting obediently under the tree with a red bow tied to its collar. Sounds too good to be true? Well, then, it probably is.

•   Why Rats Make Great Pets for Kids
  

  When my daughter was eight, we decided she was old enough to take care of her own pet—a small pet that would live in a cage. She really wanted a dog, but together we settled on something smaller that didn’t require daily walks and poop scoops. We explored the pros and cons of hamsters, gerbils, and rats, and many conversations later, we’d made our decision. Rats. As in, they were the winner, not “Oh no.”