Today we read a Facebook post from one of the horse groups we follow. There was a picture of adults and kids on the horse trails in our local vineyards. Underneath the picture: “We believe in teaching kids to love what we love!”

We were so excited to see that! Establishing a bond with pets is one of the best gifts we can give our kids. Developing friendships with animals lasts a lifetime. Animals help us through all kinds of difficulties and bring us all kinds of joy – that our children will miss if we don’t expose them to our love and respect for animals. Even if your family has allergies and can’t have house pets, it’s our privilege to be able to share a relationship with animals with our children by modeling the care and feeding of pets.  Let them feel the heartbeat of a puppy or kitten or watch how a horse breathes after running a race. They will develop a respect for life.