By JOHN E. WEARE
KAB
Children often see an uptick on their weekly chore lists this time of year when they shed the “student” label. Growing up we helped clean the house and pitched in with other tasks. Chores, however, meant taking care of the animals.
My two brothers and I grew up in the country near Alliance. Living on a 7-acre pivot corner there was not enough room for livestock. Most of the empty space, instead, lent itself to a corral and pasture for horses. My dad moved a small barn to the property and built a dog pen as we cared for a menagerie of pets over the years. Goats, then chickens, ducks and turkeys, oh and rabbits, occupied that structure. We had three dogs in what was really more of a run than a pen, then others after dismantling it. The space between the front of the house and our walkway had up to seven box turtles at one point and even a visiting mud puppy. There were plenty of cats, mostly outside, then housepets ranging from lizards and other terrarium fauna to parakeets, hamsters and fish.
Procure any of the smaller pets mentioned above at a reputable pet store today and be prepared for sticker shock. A beta fish and bowl may not break the bank, but good luck finding anything else with a starter habitat and food for less than a C-note. A fair share of our pets, I recall, were free. Our favorite dog when we were young just walked over the hill to the west and became part of the family for years. Nobody paid for cats. The goats came from an uncle who passed away. My first lizards, anoles sold at Pamida as they phased out the pet section, lived in a second-hand 10-gallon aquarium.
The “reuse” portion of the green spectrum is a great approach, whenever possible, for pets. Granted, not everybody is handy enough to build a dog house from pallets (for example). Sourcing from recycled or scrap material is admirable. However, plenty of people are willing to donate items when selling or giving away a pet. Houses designed for one species may be converted without much trouble for another. A few years ago I had my eye on a small chicken coop at my dad’s house. He reinforced and refurbished it for our rabbit.
Recently, I was one of five people moving a duck house from one yard to the next. Two drakes had been given away and a duck died leaving her remaining companion solo. A couple offered the fowl to the girl next door who happily accepted (with her parents’ permission, naturally). They also provided a pool and materials for an enclosure above it. Space and additional materials to house the black and white duck came from a former rabbit run empty after the bunny died.
Habitats purchased from a store or online serve pets just fine though a reused version seems more likely to be creative and attuned to the animal’s needs and personality. Finding a thrifted dog house may not be ideal long-term, yet the process can be a teaching moment when parents challenge children to save for a first pet.
As spring has not quite faded yet make room for a summer project. Be creative and resourceful when considering a new pet. As long as it meets their needs the creature will not care where their home came from.