Hello everybody!
Great essay I found on facebook


There will be many postings about giving a pet for Christmas. Therefore we are going to do something we never do (yeah right): give our opinion.

We do not believe in giving a live animal as a gift. Why? Well for one: they are alive. That means they need to be cared for, wanted until the day they pass
and loved in all the days before that. If someone is willing to make that commitment then they should be the one to make that decision and not find out when handed over with a bow. Pets are forever, whether people agree or not that
really is the way it should be. Sadly many times is not the way it is. This is why so many are surrendered to shelters or worse abandoned roadside.
When pets are given at Christmas rescues and shelters see a rise in owner surrenders during the months of February through March. This is because the cute puppiness has worn off and the reality of potty training, puppy destruction and proper care becomes a reality. Instead of seeing through their commitment they decide it would be best to take the out of sight out of mind approach and off goes the so-called Christmas gift. The poor fuzzball has done nothing wrong: they are being exactly what they are: puppies. What many people do not realize is that a shelter does NOT have to put a hold on an owner surrender. A hold is when the shelter will hold the animal until their owner has a chance to reclaim it. Since the owner is the one that turned it in then a
lot of times the poor animal is taken straight back to the kill room . Shelters
have many animals coming in everyday, many that are strays with a hold time. So
an owner surrender will be first to be euthanized. Again: the poor soul did nothing wrong, and yet many times this is exactly how it ends for them.
Now on the flip-side: we do have families that want to adopt a puppy/dog during
Christmas as a family addition. We have had adoptions during the holidays BUT we insure it is not just for that reason. Sometimes people want to add a pet during this time because the family is out on holiday break and it is a good time to have a pet adjust to their new home. Other families do want it to be a Christmas gift, and we spend a lot of time explaining our concerns with that . Families also want to adopt but during the summer they are just not home enough: sports, vacations, traveling, home projects, and so on hinder them from
wanting to bring in a pet during a hectic time. We also make sure the decision is not based on what a child wants but instead that the parents realize they are the ones that must want the pet. After all, they are the ones that will have to take full responsibility for the proper care of the new arrival. Having
children, I realize their attention span was quite short when they were younger. I also know that what they just have to have or will die is not so important the following week.
So it come down to this: choosing to bring in a new pet at any time is a big decision that has to be carefully thought through. It is not a good idea to give a pet to someone as a gift. The person on the receiving end must make the decision since this will now be their responsibility and their life will change. A family wanting to adopt a pet needs to realize the parents have to be
the ones that truly want the pet, not what their children are asking for. Children cannot be held responsible for the total care of that pet. That is why
they are children and their parents are still caring for them. Adopting a pet can be a wonderful experience. It can teach children responsibility in the everyday care and love of a pet. But remember: when a parent decides to get rid
of that same pet due to housebreaking, destruction and so on they are also teaching their children NOT to be good responsible pet owners. They are teaching them it is ok to discard them.
Regardless of when someone decides to adopt we hope they think it through, both
pros and cons. Rescues a lot of time seem, in the publics opinion ,to make it difficult to adopt. The fact is, when rescues take in these poor dogs they are putting a lot of time, money and care into them. They become part of their foster family. In the end all they want is to know they will be well cared for and loved. They can then go on and rescue another. Foster homes have revolving doors. Inside those homes are the big hearts of those unselfish people that have taken in dogs no questions asked and make them a part of their family. We all want what is best for each and every rescue dog. I think that really is true for any pet lover, isnt is?

Matt


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