With Thanksgiving behind us, the holidays are now upon us. Family and friends are shopping for the best deals for Christmas presents. For me, shopping and the whole gift-giving is clearly overrated. But, that’s another topic.
Did you know more families bring pets into their homes during the holidays than any other time of the year? “Billy” wakes up to find a cute puppy under the tree. “Sally” has asked for a dog for the last six months. She, too, is handed a puppy with a bow on its head on Christmas morning.
But, is giving a pet for Christmas the wisest choice?
I’ve worked in the animal rescue industry to have seen firsthand when people decided to buy or adopt a pet for Christmas. Just like the New Year’s resolution for us humans to start exercising, the novelty wears off approximately around February or March. In both cases, they realize this is work. You can’t work out for two months and expect permanent results without sticking to the program, just as you can’t expect a puppy to stay small, to not have accidents or chew up your favorite pair of shoes etc…..
I have seen puppies returned to shelters after the novelty has worn off, when the puppy was once a lap dog who can now knock you off your feet. The families no longer have time nor patience for this once-loved puppy under the Christmas tree.
But is it still okay to give a pet for Christmas? According to Home 4 the Holidays, it is their goal to find homes for shelter pets during the holidays. The goal for 2010 is 1.5 million animals. Mike Arms, who began this program in 1999, says this cause has become the largest pet adoption drive in history. PA has 119 shelters participating in this endeavor.
3600 shelters participate worldwide to achieve this goal. Last year alone, over 1.3 million animals were adopted during the holidays.
First, I do encourage adoption over buying a pet for Christmas any day of the year. Puppies in pet stores come from puppy mills. There are but a few pet stores that do not use puppy mills as their source of puppies. Petco, Pet Smart and Pet Supplies Plus are examples of stores who do not SELL pets. Some work with adoption agencies but don’t sell their pets like their counterparts.
Buying a puppy from a store is allowing the puppy mill industry to thrive and for dogs to live a life of misery and hell by being stuck in their small cages for their entire lives 24/7. DON’T BUY a pet from a pet store!! Tell your friends.
Here is a simple question when contemplating buying a puppy from a pet store- what kind of life do the parents of this puppy you just bought have? To learn more about puppy mills, click here.
I personally don’t object to giving a pet for Christmas IF it is a family decision. You, as the parent, have to realize that YOU may be walking the dog, cleaning out the litterbox and cleaing up after your dog. You cannot count on your child to do this work. This is being realistic and you must be when it comes to bringing a pet into your home. Without realistic expectations, that cute puppy or kitten will find its way into the shelter where in today’s economy, sadly, most will lose their lives. Do YOU want to live with that on your conscience?
Think about the expense of having a pet. Your pet gets ill just like you and me. He will need to see the veterinarian. Your pet could have a life-long health condition. Are you ready to bear that expense?
Another consideration is bringing a pet into the home during the holidays when it is so stressful. Is that fair to the pet?
I’m not trying to dissuade anyone from ADOPTING a pet but to think the decision through. Make sure everyone in the family is prepared to bring a pet into your home. Make sure the pet is loved and you spend time with him. Whatever you do, don’t chain that new puppy (as it grows into a dog), to a dog house. That new puppy didn’t ask to be brought into your home. A dog is a social being and a pack animal and needs others around him. It is cruel to chain your dog up outside and to be left alone 24/7.
To adopt a pet for Christmas or not- that is the question. What is your answer?