Many people keep dogs and cats as companions. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of pet ownership for the animals involved and for the community as a whole.

Some people tend to pet dogs or cats and consider them as their close friends in life. This essay will examine the benefits and drawbacks associated with pet ownership, both for the animals involved and the community. Keeping animals as pets brings numerous advantages to the pet and the community as well. Indoor animals usually receive more decent treats and love than the stray animals. The owner is likely to take care of them by petting, feeding, bathing and spending time playing with the pet while animals on the street ought to struggle alone. In return, this positively impacts on the mental and physical health of the keepers as they might be happier and less stressful when sharing time with the animal. For example, there are services in America where they have dogs to comfort depressed people and those with panic attacks and this shows how helpful dogs can be to people. Nevertheless, holding animals indoor when they are supposed to be in nature can cause several disadvantages. When an animal is kept away from the wild for a long period, they might lose their natural instinct like the ability to find food and defense against other species. The lion which was kept over 10 years in the national zoo in America for instance, had died in the jungle since his capability as a wild animal had been lost. Additionally, since not every animal can be tamed and respectful, the owner as well as the local authority are forced to set indoor and outdoors regulations to keep the order in the house and protect native animals or people in the area. In conclusion, a number of people like to have dogs or cats as their companies. Granted that this can be beneficial to the well-being of the animals and the society, it does make the animals lose their instinct and cause troubles for the community.