I’m So Glad I Grew Up with Animals

“Happy birthday to you.

Happy birthday to you.

You look like a blah-blah…

And you smell like one, too!”

I remember hearing and singing this ditty as a young child with my friends, then, laughing and chasing each other around in fun. The ironic thing is, I probably did often smell like some kind of animal. The simple reason is, my six younger siblings and I grew up with an large assortment of pets over the years. Here’s a list of what I can remember: dogs (and puppies), cats (and kittens), parakeets, canaries, a goat, a duck, some turtles, countless tropical fish, and a pony. That’s only the “store-bought” pets. We also collected our share of caterpillars, butterflies, lightning bugs, lizards, frogs, and wild turtles. No spiders & snakes ever made the cut, however.

As an adult, I’ve owned a constant stream of dogs, cats, more tropical fish, more parakeets, and even a wild squirrel. But still, to quote the song, “I don’t like spiders & snakes!”

Having shared all that, I feel well-qualified to attest to the importance and ample rewards of pet ownership, even from a young age. So, without further ado, I present some photos of children interacting with animals. I hope you enjoy!

(Note: Photos remain the property of their respective owners.)