How old should a child be to own their own pet? Is there a minimum age? Or should they simply be responsible?

I think any parent who agrees to get their child a pet should understand that they--the parent--is going to be responsible for the main part of the pet care. Even if the child promises to do all the work, that rarely happens. So the real issue isn't whether or not the child is responsible enough to have a pet, but how much the parent wants to be involved in pet care!

I don't think it's a good idea to get a child a pet until they are four or five, when they are old enough to understand that animals aren't toys and that they have feelings, too. And irresponsible older kids can benefit from having pets if the parents are willing to help take care of them. Having a pet MAY teach a child some responsibility, but parents shouldn't get their kids pets on their(kids) promises to take care of them and then send the pet away when the kids don't.

That's just cruel to the pets and the kids.

They should just be responsible enough to have a pet. Even if there is a minimum age prescribed by your local jurisdiction, very small babies, who have not come to their senses properly, should not be allowed to have a pet due to following reasons; 1. Pets that have sharp claws and teeth can harm the babies, because they are animals and you never know when their animal instincts take over their normal behaviour.

There have been innumerable such instances. 2. Babies can do great harm to pets.

Very small children can be unreasonably cruel and damaging due to their inborn instincts (we are animals first, and then humans). 3. Very small pets can be be swallowed or bitten by the babies (or attempted so).4.

Pets are not toys. They are living beings who can feel the same way we can. They should not be left on the mercy of a child who cannot understand his/her responsibilities fully.

Hope that helps. Thanks.

This is tough to answer with a simple age. Pets should NEVER be owned by children if the parent is not 100% willing to help over see their care. No store, or shelter, will sell or adopt to a kid - so indeed it is the parent who is taking responsibility for the pet then placing it on a child who cannot fully understaind a lifetime commitment.

Unless the child is working they cannot be financially responsible for the pet. Problems arise if the child grows up and is going to move away but cannot take the pet with them - the parent then either must care for it, or will abandon it, claiming no responsibility for the pet they earlier aquired (or allowed the child to keep), as such it is the animal that suffers. Parents need to be responsible ultimatly for the pet, while the child can assist, even keep the pet in their room, the lifetime commitment should always lie with the adult.

Different types of animals need different care, young children cannot walk a large breed of dog, but sometimes parents find it cute to call the dog the childs pet. All in all, pets can be family pets, they can live in the childs room and so forth, but they should ultimately belong to the parent until the child is 18 and can undertake ALL responsibilties of pet ownership on thier own.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.