The biggest jump in pet adoptions happens during the holiday season each year. This is great! Then, after the new year, the biggest surge of unwanted pets trickle back into animal shelters, discarded, abandoned, and unwanted. This is terrible!
The reasons for this are simple. Everyone wants a cute, furry friend (puppy or kitten) for their kid for Christmas. This is wonderful except that most people who adopt a shelter animal or purchase a puppy or kitten from a pet store don't stop to think about what pet ownership really entails...a lifelong committment.
I whole-heartedly encourage adoption of pets from shelters, but before you make that leap, read the following reasons why you should or shouldn't adopt a pet for Christmas.
5 reasons NOT to adopt/purchase a pet for Christmas:
- If you work long hours and don't have time to spend with a pet, don't get one.
- If your kids do not understand that pets need attention and care daily, do not get one.
- If you do not have enough room in your home/around your home for a dog to run and get exercise, reconsider.
- If your budget doesn't include at least $150 in discretionary funds each month to cover food, (litter), flea control meds and/or veterinary bills, do not adopt a pet. Pets are expensive. They need food (good food, not cheap stuff that would lead to digestive problems and veterinary care later), fresh water every day, flea control medication which lasts anywhere from 30 days to 7 months depending on whether or not you use a flea collar or Advantage/Frontline serum directly applied to the skin. Just like humans, things happen with health that might require a trip to the vet's office. Such visits can cost anywhere from $65 - $300 depending on diagnosis and treatment. On average, it costs around $4,000 to $6,000 a year to care for one pet.
- If you are not committed to keeping a pet for the rest of its natural life, do not adopt/purchase one.
5 reasons TO adopt a pet for Christmas:
- A pet provides companionship proven to be beneficial to the health of the pet owner. Having a pet inspires one to get outside and get some excercise. Dog owners on average maintain a more normal body weight and a healthier cardiovascular system.
- By adopting a shelter pet, you help provide a home to a previously abandoned/neglected/possibly abused animal. There is no greater good a person can do than to open his/her home and heart to a shelter dog or cat.
- A pet gives completely unconditional love to its owner. There are no strings attached, no pre-qualifications needed. The animal just loves you. They also make great listeners, never contradicting your point of view!
- Pets make great security alarms and alarm clocks! They warn you when a stranger is near (even cats do this), and they learn your schedule, reminding you to wake up, go outside, and go to bed.
- Pets make marvelous best "furry" friends. For those who feel lonely, pet ownership can change that, and even help you socialize more with other pet parents. Letting a pet into your heart will change your life for the better.
Visit your local animal shelter if you are prepared to provide a forever home to a lucky dog or cat. Pets are just like children, you should be ready care for them for the rest of their lives, and eager to show them off to friends and family with pride!
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Newly Published! HARVEST, an original short story by Michele Gwynn is now available for download in PDF on Lulu.com. Harvest tells the fictional tale of what happens when human greed and gluttony override compassion and humane treatment of cattle in feedlots. When Dave Forrester wakes to discover that everyone he knows in Farley, Oklahoma has disappeared, it's up to him to discover why, and figure out how to save the few who survive ... the harvest.
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Comments
While I agree people should really think about what pet ownership will mean for their family, I would like to offer alternatives to a few of your suggestions:
1.If you work long hours and don't have time to spend with a pet, INSTEAD OF "don't get one", how about "consider a pet that requires less one-on-one attention i.e. cats are more independent than dogs. They do not require daily walks. Although they, of course, need exercise, they can get that running around the house or apt. Cats generally entertain themselves--a waded up piece of paper or paper bag can keep them entertained for hours. I found a $17 toy last weekend that keeps them entertained for hours and hours. Cats "generally" won't chew up your furniture or shoes if you leave them alone for long periods. They can be left longer hours since you can leave a litter box out for them (and I have electric litter boxes that do a lot of the work for me). You can also leave big bowls of food and water out for most cats and they won't eat the whole thing in one sitting like a dog would. So if you had to be gone overnight or for a weekend, cats would be OK. If your cat has a kitty buddy to play with and to snuggle with, they don't need as much "human time" and don't tend to get into as much mischief. I'm not saying get a cat and ignore him/her completely. I'm just saying they don't require as much face time as dogs, so they could work well for someone who works longer hours (like I do).
2.If your kids do not understand that pets need attention and care daily, INSTEAD OF "do not get one", how about "this would be a great opportunity to TEACH your children about pet care. This will also teach them responsibility for others and will teach them a work ethic. If they are paid for chores, this also teaches them about working to earn money. By having a pet and treating him/her kindly, this can also teach your child compassion for other living beings.
3.If you do not have enough room in your home/around your home for a dog to run and get exercise INSTEAD OF "reconsider", how about please consider a smaller pet such as a cat, guinea pig, hamster or bunny. I’ve seen all of these animals in shelters and rabbits are the 3rd most killed animal in shelters.
4.If your budget doesn't include at least $150 in discretionary funds each month to cover food, (litter), flea control meds and/or veterinary bills, do not adopt a pet. ----- You must have a large dog(s). One, or even, two cats would not cost this much to feed per month and they do not require heartworm meds even in the mosquito infested south. I was able to afford food & litter for 2 cats even when I was young and making little more than minimum wage.
I also do not give my cat flea meds every month because I do not like putting poisons on them. My cats are inside cats, so this generally is not an issue. But, if we have a flea outbreak, I use safer alternatives, like diatomaceous earth, plant extracts or tea tree oil, which are all considerably cheaper than the poisons.
…Just like humans, things happen with health that might require a trip to the vet's office. Such visits can cost anywhere from $65 - $300 depending on diagnosis and treatment. On average, it costs around $4,000 to $6,000 a year to care for one pet. ----- Again, I think you are overestimating how much it cost unless you had an emergency. I even paid for chemo treatments last year for my cat and it was less than this. There are lower cost vet clinics where people can get most services cheaper. (I was at the vet last week and the office visit, diagnose/treatment for an injury etc. was $42). The point is people can find less expensive alternatives, so I would hate for the costs you quoted to scare people off from considering adopting a pet.
Like I said, I have cats. I would very much encourage people to considering adopting a cat because, generally, more cats are killed in shelters than dogs. (Some shelters give 2 for 1 adoption prices for cats too) Also, if you're not fully ready to make the commitment of adopting a new pet, please consider being a temporary foster parent. There are lots of cats and dogs at the shelter with babies that need a few weeks in a home until the babies are weaned. Most just need a quiet bedroom, bathroom or laundry room and some love. There are also plenty of adult pets that have been at shelters for the "maximum" time they are allowed--anywhere between 3 days and 90 days. Please consider fostering one of these pets until they can find a adoptive home. This will give you the hands on opportunity to decide if owning a pet is the right decision for you. Or, if you travel a lot and do not think you could care for a pet full time, fostering would be a great alternative. You would foster the pet temporarily while you are not traveling and until the pet finds his/her forever home. You stop fostering while you are traveling. I think this would be a great idea for people who move frequently for their jobs too.
There are lots of options out there. Please call your local shelter or rescue group and find out more. You can search PetFinder.com to find shelters/rescues in your zip code.
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