Show Notes

• 2:46  — Darren shares that he and his wife recently adopted a new puppy, Ellie and he discusses his motivation for focusing on this topic.
• 4:10  — The benefits of pet adoption including companionship, stress reduction, and better mental health.
• 7:01  — March shares his past experience adopting a large dog in his small apartment.
• 13:04  — March reflects on the differences between pet ownership in Ireland and the US.
• 13:50  — Ian reveals that he and his family are long-time cat people.
• 15:27  — We take a moment to enjoy a view of Ian’s dream of owning a baby giraffe. 😄
• 19:21  — Darren shares a story from his youth about owning an evil poodle.
• 21:32  — The importance of preparation and a little bit of research when choosing to get a new pet and the difficulty of finding a new home for a pet that doesn’t fit your lifestyle.
• 23:30  — Deciding what you want out of a pet — exercise companion, cuddle companion, etc.
• 24:49  — Selecting your pet species and the breed.
• 26:30  — Questions to ask yourself when choosing a pet and a breed of dog or cat.
• 27:01  — Online resources to help you learn about different dogs and cats.
• 28:55  — The right flavor of giraffe for your home and lifestyle.

Mentions

• 📰 Article: Research on pets and mental health
• 📰 Article: Best pets for mental health
• 📰 Article: Why Some People Think of Pets Like Children and Others Don’t
• 📖 Doc: Google Doc from Seattle Humane Society with a collection of Learning Resources
• 📺 Videos: PAWS Academy (videos to learn about animals)
• 📰 Website: Petcube blog