10/12/2021
With Christmas just around the corner, many might be considering a puppy or a kitten as the perfect gift! Once the holiday spirit wears off though, too many of these pets become neglected. Some of them are caged for the rest of their lives, or even worse, abandoned in the streets!
This has to change.
Caring for a pet is a LIFETIME COMMITMENT. When you choose to adopt instead of shop, you truly understand what it means for a pet to be part of your family. This means many Christmas celebrations with your pet, not just this year, but in the years to come.
Please also help us spread the word among your friends and family members: kindly do not get a pet as a surprise gift.
The decision to have a pet should always be made after consultation and careful planning with other household and family members. Budgets for trips to the vet, vaccinations, training, spay-neuter and a commitment to care for the animal in its senior years should be discussed.
And if there is a shadow of a doubt about one’s capability to care for an ailing or senior pet in 8 or 10 years, the responsible thing to do would be to opt out of pet parenthood. Animals, like humans, will get sick and get old. There is no one who stays young and in perfect health forever.
It’s a sobering holiday message but, for all of us who care about companion animals, it has to be said: Pets are not gifts. They are a lifetime commitment.
