Pets can be great companions, but sometimes we humans are not great caregivers.

Most anyone who owns a pet considers himself or herself an animal lover, even if they have a preference for a specific type of pet. 

From a very early age, I can remember our household always had some sort of pet. From cats, dogs, rabbits, snakes and even birds, there’s been a pet or two in every place I’ve lived.

Two cats lend to the messes in my house these days. I don’t have an aversion to other types of pets; cats are just low maintenance. I don’t take in more animals because I know I wouldn’t be able to provide them the level of care they deserve.

But there are people who take pets in with the greatest of intentions. They see a puppy or kitten on the side of the road or eating from a dumpster and want to give it a good home.

After taking it home, at times they may come to the realization they’ve taken on more responsibility than their time or patience allows. And sadly, that leads to the pet they once saved from a life on the streets, being surrendered to the roadside once again, or in a best-case scenario, the local shelter.

Then there are those people who take the time to go above and beyond to care for pets without homes, or those found injured on the roadside. Somehow, even with full time jobs and all manner of other responsibilities, they take on dozens of animals and give them arguably the best care of their lives. You can read about two such people in today’s edition of the Item.

And these aren’t the only two people in this area who share this devotion to animals. Pearl River County is filled with animal lovers, and that’s a good thing because our area needs these people to fill in the gaps where others fall short.