PETS AS GIFTS
The holidays get a lot of people thinking of a puppy or kitten. The reasons are plenty. Did you just move into a new house with a fenced yard, so your last excuse to give the kids is gone? Maybe you’re thinking such an adorable gift will make you seem Soooo cuddly to your new boyfriend/girlfriend. Maybe it’s been a rough year, the season has you feeling extra lonely, and you could use the awesome company. If you read Our Better Best Friends, you know how I feel about that! So, really, if you’ve decided you want one, or it’s a great idea as a gift, you should be set, right? Sure! Or not.
While a family dog or cat really can be a great gift, there is a down side, too. Mommy and Daddy pick out the cutest puppy they can find, thinking how happy their kids will be. Picture perfect. And, of course, this is going to have the benefit of teaching the kids great responsibility, because they swore they would take care of a family pet if you finally bought them one.
But, maybe the fun wears off, and they don’t want to take care of Fido. What about buying one for somebody else? What if the needs for that particular breed are just too much for the recipient? Here’s what happens. A lot. The few months after the holidays, animal shelters become more overrun than usual with all the “gifts” that seemed like such a good idea at the time. This breaks my heart. So, I thought maybe there was something I could do to reach at least a few with some helpful info. I asked a friend who is a vet to give some information on some expectations for caring for the new pet. Hopefully not to turn anyone against the idea, but to better prepare them to follow through, and have a new lifelong member of the family. Here are her words of advice:
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We are starting to slowly consider getting a dog. For a while we didn’t because one of our children had a phobia of dogs. In the last year the child has done a complete 180 and now is the greatest advocate for getting a dog. Not really looking to put one under the tree, but not sure how much prep we need to do. I haven’t had a dog since I was in 6th grade, so I feel a little out of practice. I have read many articles about breeds, but would be totally happy with a mutt like my last dog. Do you think volunteering at a shelter to gain experience would be good?
I would never discourage anyone from volunteering at a shelter! I do think you would want to be very clear first on what duties would be. If your main purpose would be to help, regardless of duty, then I think that would be great for you. If you’re wanting some practice on taking care of animals to be your main focus, there is the possibility you would be given jobs that don’t pertain exactly to that. If you are considering the volunteering for children, also consider age and how you feel about life lessons they will be exposed to. I hope that makes sense. You could also think about fostering. This is a great way for everyone to get used to having a dog in the house, without the lifelong commitment. Just make sure you work with a rescue that will work with you on the very important factor that you have children in the house.They would need to pair you up with a dog with known behavior, especially around children.I had a former post on this called Saving an Animal’s Life from the point of view of an animal foster.If you haven’t seen it, it’s great insight. If you’re lucky (in my opinion) you’ll end up a “foster fail”, and the dog will become a part of your family permanently! Another plus – you’ll also be reminded of all the “gear” needed because the rescue would be working with you on that. Whatever you decide, so happy to hear you’re putting thought into this very important decision!