Honestly, I used to travel with a dog because I owned and was bonded with a dog when I lost my apartment and was forced out on the road. I still travel with a pet today, who had the good fortune to be born and raised indoors and has been acclimated to the wilderness slowly.
The short answer is that having a pet on the road infinitely complicates things.
-Vaccinations
-Flea Meds
-Deworming
-Ticks
-Mange
-Heat and Cold hazards
-Wet Dog smell (almost NOBODY will pick up a dog in the rain)
-NO GREYHOUND BUSSES unless it's a service animal
-NO PASSENGER TRAINS
-Hard to fly on planes (you need a special case, bunch of money, and the animals hate flying)
-Reduces the length of time you can sit and busk/spange/fly a sign because the animal gets bored
-Some people will get mad at you for having a pet with you- presuming that you must be mistreating the pet, this stigma can be hard to shake
-If you get one of those fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants jedi moments where you have a chance to get cleaned up and get some easy work or easy money, the pet can often prevent you from taking a great opportunity
-Dog food is heavy as hell and it makes your pack stink
The whole thing is you have to keep the animal well. If the animal is not well kept, you instantly become a walking hippie-stereotype of the idiot stoner with a poor, flea-ridden mut. If you don't REALLY know what you're doing- don't even THINK about it.
Honestly, I would NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS adopt a pet while on the road. That is crazy man. Why would you add that much hassle to your life?
I somehow always end up saddled in with a fuzzy lil bear- I think he's spirit-bonded with me or something. But I would never CHOOSE to adopt a pet while on the road. No way. If you find one who needs your help, or something, then it happens. But I wouldn't go looking for one!
As to young ass kids who can barely take care of themselves having litters of puppies in the woods and giving them out to all the other young ass kids who can barely take care of themselves:
IT'S CALLED KENNEL COUGH! If we let the woods fill up with puppies all the time it will spread massive DISEASE and eventually the HUMANS and OTHER ANIMALS will get sick from the overcrowding. A pet is a living being and the first and foremost consideration should be IS THIS GOOD FOR THE ANIMAL?
That being said. My pets have all loved the road. They would rather be running around having adventures with us than sitting cooped up in an apartment staring at the walls!
The short answer is that having a pet on the road infinitely complicates things.
-Vaccinations
-Flea Meds
-Deworming
-Ticks
-Mange
-Heat and Cold hazards
-Wet Dog smell (almost NOBODY will pick up a dog in the rain)
-NO GREYHOUND BUSSES unless it's a service animal
-NO PASSENGER TRAINS
-Hard to fly on planes (you need a special case, bunch of money, and the animals hate flying)
-Reduces the length of time you can sit and busk/spange/fly a sign because the animal gets bored
-Some people will get mad at you for having a pet with you- presuming that you must be mistreating the pet, this stigma can be hard to shake
-If you get one of those fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants jedi moments where you have a chance to get cleaned up and get some easy work or easy money, the pet can often prevent you from taking a great opportunity
-Dog food is heavy as hell and it makes your pack stink
The whole thing is you have to keep the animal well. If the animal is not well kept, you instantly become a walking hippie-stereotype of the idiot stoner with a poor, flea-ridden mut. If you don't REALLY know what you're doing- don't even THINK about it.
Honestly, I would NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS adopt a pet while on the road. That is crazy man. Why would you add that much hassle to your life?
I somehow always end up saddled in with a fuzzy lil bear- I think he's spirit-bonded with me or something. But I would never CHOOSE to adopt a pet while on the road. No way. If you find one who needs your help, or something, then it happens. But I wouldn't go looking for one!
As to young ass kids who can barely take care of themselves having litters of puppies in the woods and giving them out to all the other young ass kids who can barely take care of themselves:
IT'S CALLED KENNEL COUGH! If we let the woods fill up with puppies all the time it will spread massive DISEASE and eventually the HUMANS and OTHER ANIMALS will get sick from the overcrowding. A pet is a living being and the first and foremost consideration should be IS THIS GOOD FOR THE ANIMAL?
That being said. My pets have all loved the road. They would rather be running around having adventures with us than sitting cooped up in an apartment staring at the walls!
