Show Notes 2:46 — Darren shares that he and his wife recently adopted a new puppy, Ellie and he discusses his motivation for focusing on this topic. * 4:10 — The benefits of pet adoption including companionship, stress reduction, and better mental health. * 7:01 — March shares his past experience adopting a large dog in his small apartment. * 13:04 — March reflects on the differences between pet ownership in Ireland and the US. * 13:50 — Ian reveals that he and his family are long-time cat people. * 15:27 — We take a moment to enjoy a view of Ian’s dream of owning a baby giraffe. 😄 * 19:21 — Darren shares a story from his youth about owning an evil poodle. * 21:32 — The importance of preparation and a little bit of research when choosing to get a new pet and the difficulty of finding a new home for a pet that doesn’t fit your lifestyle. * 23:30 — Deciding what you want out of a pet — exercise companion, cuddle companion, etc. * 24:49 — Selecting your pet species and the breed. * 26:30 — Questions to ask yourself when choosing a pet and a breed of dog or cat. * 27:01 — Online resources to help you learn about different dogs and cats. * 28:55* — The right flavor of giraffe for your home and lifestyle.

Mentions* 📰 Article: Research on pets and mental health * 📰 Article: Best pets for mental health * 📰 Article: Why Some People Think of Pets Like Children and Others Don’t * 📖 Doc: Google Doc from Seattle Humane Society with a collection of Learning Resources * 📺 Videos: PAWS Academy (videos to learn about animals) * 📰 Website: Petcube blog