Whether you purchased your pet from a breeder, received it as a gift, or rescued from an agency; your commitment is for the life of your new friend. As you care for the child, it is now your responsibility to feed your pet with proper nutrition in order to be assured that he has a “happy, healthy and long existence”. You’re required to locate a vet to notify you when examinations and inoculations are due. Your dog must be licensed and wear rabies tags “at all times, and should be chipped and recorded by the county. And if that new pet is a dog, it has to have “proper exercise and socialization” to understand how it should relate to humans and other dogs. Education is a must not only for your pet, but for you and your family members. You have an animal that does not have the same needs as a child, and your evaluation of the dogs behavioral issues do not relate to those of a human. Are you aware of the leash laws of the state and county. If you animal creates an accident or bites someone, “it is your liability” no matter how the consequences occurred.