At the zoo he said, "I want a lion."
Later he shouted, "I want a tiger!"
At the end of the zoo visit, he said, "I want a camel to ride." His parents just smiled and ignored him.
Peter's cousin, Jack, lived on the other side of the city. Jack was 3 years older than Peter. Jack was 11 years old. How old was Peter? Jack's sister, Emily, was 15 years old. How many years older than Peter was she?
Emily and Jack had a dog named Buster. Buster was a hairy dog who loved to play fetch. He would run to grab a ball and bring it back to Jack or Emily every time they threw it. Whenever Peter visited them, he liked to play fetch with Buster.
For a few days after the trip to the zoo, Peter thought about the zoo animals. He knew that a lion or tiger or camel would be too big and wild for his house. He decided that he wanted his own dog. "I want my own dog," he told his parents.
"I see," said his mother. "I understand," said his father.
"Super! Does that mean I can have one?" asked Peter.
"Whose dog would it be?" asked Peter's father.
"He would be my dog, of course." answered Peter.
"A dog needs an owner who will take very good care of him", replied his father. "Who will pay for the dog? Dogs cost money whether they come from a breeder or a rescue organization or a city pound."
"How much money?" asked Peter.
"Usually $200 or more. A purebred dog from a breeder might cost $1200," answered his father.
Peter's mother said, "A dog needs to visit a doctor to make sure he doesn't get sick. That can cost $60 or more a year for the visit and another $50 or more for shots to prevent illness. A really good dog owner doesn't wait until his dog is sick before visiting a veterinarian."
"Food is another cost. The bigger the dog, the more he will eat. Who would pay for all that food?" asked Peter's mother.
"A dog needs toys to play with and they cost money too. Who would pay for toys?" asked his father.
"You want your dog to be safe from cars, don't you, Peter? We would need to build a fence to keep him in the yard, safe from all the cars and trucks that drive past our house. Dogs don't understand that cars can hurt them." Peter's mother looked worried when she told him that.
Peter's father said," A fence might cost a lot of money, Peter. $1500 or more."
Peter's mother saw that he looked sad. "Don't worry, Peter. When you are old enough to earn money to pay for your dog and his food and fence, then you may have a dog."
