Some people think that keeping pets is good for children while others think it is dangerous and unhealthy. Which opinion do you agree with? Discuss both options and give examples.

To begin

with,

although

exotic pets (e.g.

snakes

limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous

Snakes

, spiders, apes, etc.) Have been known to occasionally hurt and even kill children,

such

incidents are so statistically rare as to be negligible.

This

is because the overwhelming majority of children have non-lethal cats, dogs, fish, rodents and rabbits for pets.

For example

The Child Safety Institute found that over 90% of the children owned the aforementioned pets, and professed that they had never felt in the least bit endangered by them. Seen in

this

light, it is clearly unfounded to claim that pets present any physical danger to children.

Secondly

, pets can impact positively upon child psychology.

This

is because young pet owners frequently empathise with their pets and perform a diverse range of actions to maintain their well being (e.g. Feeding, grooming, administering medicine, etc.).

For example

, the Cambridge Developmental Psychology Unit found that children who had grown up with pets were 30% less likely to bully others and resolve conflicts through aggression.

Consequently

, it is undeniable that a child’s pro-

sociality

and mental health can be improved through exposure to pets. In conclusion, the cited evidence provides strong support for the view that children owning pets is a good thing. In the future, as more laws are introduced to ban the ownership of illegally acquired exotic pets,

this

viewpoint will no doubt surge in popularity.