Saturday, December 20, 2014

Preparing for the Holidays: Gifts

For some reason a lot of people thing giving a pet as a Christmas gift is a good idea. In some cases it can be a good gift, but usually not. If the recipient wants the pet and a lot of thought and consideration has been put into it, it can be a good idea. However, if a puppy or kitten is given as a surprise, they usually end up being returned. 
Puppies and kittens are cute, but they are a lot of work. Giving a puppy or kitten as a gift is like saying "here, take this pooping machine that is going to requre a lot of care and a lot of extra money." Unforunately most of the time these animals find their way back the the shelter after Christmas. 

I have a couple ideas that can give the gift of a puppy or kitten, but without the year long commitment. 
1. Volunteer at the Shelter! If you know someone that would love nothing more than to get doggy kisses and play with kitties Chirstmas morning, go volunteer! It's a perfect way to get your animal fix and also give the animals a special gift of love! 
2. Foster of Course! Why not foster over the holidays! There's nothing like waking up doggy or kitty kisses Chirstmas morning! It's also nice to be able to give a homeless animal the gift of a home on Christmas! I'll be spending my Christmas with my fosters Tinsel, Noel, and Stevie-- they even have their own stockings!
3. Donate! I love the idea of making a donation in someones name for Christmas. Some places even let you pick a specific animal to sponser and they will send pictures and information about the animal. When I was younger I "got a koala" for my birthday and it's still one of my favorite presents I ever got. I did this last year for my sister with a donkey rescue (she loves donkeys). She absolutely loved it and the rescue really appreciated the support. 

So please think it through if you are considering adopting an animal for the holidays. If you do decide to do not make it a surprise. Everyone in the family needs to be on board and prepared for the life long commitment.

Noel is Dreaming of Santa Paws!

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