Pages

Friday, December 16, 2011

Puppies are not Christmas gifts

We've all seen it in movies, advertising and in our personal lives, what kid wouldn't want a puppy for Christmas?

Except that puppies are not gifts. They are not something that you put a bow on and under the Christmas tree. They cannot be returned if they don't fit or if they are the wrong colors. Because when puppies are returned they end up in shelters where they face a death sentence.

Yet every year hundreds of parents walk past a puppy in a window at the pet store and imagine their childs face lighting up as they receive the "perfect gift".

Owning a pet, any pet, is a big responsibility. Getting a dog or a cat can be a commitment for more than 12 years. They need to be trained they need to be fed good quality food and they need to be compatible with the family they are coming into, the entire family.

Christmas after Christmas animals are surrendered to shelters because the holiday joy has worn off and the puppy no longer seems like a great gift but more of a nuisance or inconvinience. These puppies if left in a kill shelter will die. If left in a no-kill shelter the dog or cat can spend many months if not years in a small space wasting away waiting for someone to give them a second chance at joy.

If you deem your self a responsible adult who has weighed the pros and cons of opening your home to a furry friend then by all means take a trip to your local animal shelter and consider bringing home a pet who needs and deserves to be loved. Yet do not take this decision lightly and never ever give an animal as a pet.

So as the Holidays are upon us spread the cheer and joy of knowledge and education and say PUPPIES ARE NOT PRODUCTS, THEY ARE NOT CHRISTMAS GIFTS.

Happy Holidays from the Just Pawfect family to yours.