Loneliness is a welfare issue. Dogs are pack animals; leaving them isolated for 10 hours a day without mental stimulation leads to separation anxiety. Parrots are flock animals; a solitary parrot may pluck its feathers out of boredom.
Leo’s approach shifted from (the physical maintenance of an animal) to animal welfare (ensuring the animal’s quality of life and mental well-being). Loneliness is a welfare issue
Ultimately, pet care is a practice of empathy. It is the daily, often mundane, choice to put the needs of a different species on par with your own. It is the financial sacrifice for surgery, the early morning walk in the rain, the patience with a fearful rescue, and the heart-wrenching decision to euthanize when quality of life has gone. It is the acknowledgment that an animal is not a gift, a toy, or an accessory. It is a fellow traveler on this earth, who experiences joy, fear, pain, and love. Leo’s approach shifted from (the physical maintenance of