My ex-husband and I were in the military for 20 years now and are retired from service now. Too many times I see people surrender or dump their animals at local shelters because they are transferring to a new duty station. We have put in 7 moves in 14 years and have taken every animal we have ever brought into our home along with us. We have even turned down several duty stations that we both would have loved to have gone to, taking into consideration our beloved animals. You can find a way to bring your animals with you. It is a shame and a lame excuse to not take the responsibility of bringing your animals with you. The stress they endure from a move is far less than what they would endure in a shelter or new home.

We have flown our animals with us when coming back from over seas. It takes a little more preparation, but you can move with your animals. Most military bases have housing that will accept animals. You just have to be a responsible owner. If you think that the only place you can move into is one that doesn't take animals, you are very mistaken. It is your choice of the places you can move into. There are always places that will take animals, you just need to look. You have to take every consideration in when you bring an animal into your lives, even of finding a house several years in advance.

If you feel that you must surrender an animal due to a move, please reconsider your decision. If there is just no other way and you give up on your animal, you should not purchase or adopt another one until you can take the responsibility for it for the rest of the animal's life. Animals are not throw away items, to tossed out like garbage when it's time to move. Animals have feelings and understand love. You would be breaking your companion's heart to surrender it.

Children learn from their parents. When they see you drop off/surrender their beloved companion and friend just because your family is moving to a new location, they start to think it's the normal thing to do. It's not normal and it's not right. They see no value on life, even the family pet. They don't learn just how much responsibility there is to sharing their lives with an animal. They learn that from seeing you do this, animals are throw away items, to be tossed and replaced whenever it's convenient. Your animals should be just as important as your own children. Your child or children see you "getting rid of the family pet because it's too much trouble to take it with us," and they remember this. Consider how it will affect them when you are in your "golden years." Will your children put you in a nursing home because "it's just too much trouble to care for Mom and Dad?" Think about it... Just what are you teaching your children? Would you "get rid of" your own child? Be responsible for that animal you chose to share your lives with. The decisions you make not only affect you, but those around you as well.