To own and take care of a pet for youth is a very rewarding experience.  One of the most important aspects is a direct positive effect on the owner’s health, both socially as well as directly related to health issues and economy.  The value of pets can be summed up below:

·  Being attached to a pet is related to positive emotional functioning 

·  Both social as well as cognitive development can be enhanced by owning a pet 

·  Positive self-esteem of children is enhanced by owning a pet 

·  Pets provide social support to children 

·  Presence of animals increase social contact between children 

·  Child-companion animal interaction generally facilitate children’s development 

Endenburg N, Baarda B. The role of pets in enhancing human well-being: Effects on child development. In: The Waltham Book of      Human-Animal Interactions: Benefits and responsibilities. 

Poresky RH.(1996) Companion animals and other factors affecting young children’s development. Anthrozoos 9:159-168 

With the value of having a pet in mind, Martin County 4-H collaborated with the Kiwanis Club of Greater Martin County to bring the second annual 4-H Pet show to the “big” stage at their Harvest Festival on September 15^th, 2023. This gave us the opportunity to showcase the show in front of a much larger audience of community members compared to last year, when the show was held at our office. We had fourteen participants registered this year with a variety of animals including several dogs, a turtle, a rabbit, a goat, and a guinea pig. The pet show allowed the participants to showcase their knowledge of pet care, interview skills, public speaking, and display board design.  A people’s choice competition was run on our social media page prior to the main show allowing youth who could not be present to have a platform to showcase their pet knowledge and marketing skills.  This year’s Pet show was completely executed by seven community youth volunteers from Martin County High School and Martin County Middle School filing the roles of emcee’s, interviewers, judges and running the registration table. Winners in each category received a trophy or medal and were recognized in our 4-H Newsletter and social media pages.  This program is the brainchild of Martin County 4-H Assistant Nicole Hinkle.