- Do you subscribe to Dharma Dog Training’s Newsletter? You should.
- A Unique Campaign from The Humane Society of the United States
- Rabid bats in Omaha- Stay safe, prepared with these tips
- Springtime Activities in Omaha
- Mill Dog Monthly from Bailing Out Benji
- World Spay Day, Legislative Alert in Nebraska
- Attend the Nebraska Rescue Council’s monthly meeting this Saturday
- Five Hard-to-Ignore Reasons to Adopt!
- Paws in Pink to Benefit Breast Cancer Foundation
- VCA, Inc. Acquires MidWest Vet Specialists from Kansas State University
Rescue specialist says “NO!” to pets as holiday gifts
From StarGazette.com- We are sure that a number of our readers received a puppy, kitten, hamster, snake or some other type of pet as a holiday gift in the past and things have worked out wonderfully. One animal rescue specialist profiled by the stargazette.com team says giving pets as gifts is a bad idea, however.
“While pets can make great companions, surprising someone with a dog or cat can potentially end badly,” said Linda Reichel, who runs A Voice for All Animals/Second Chance Ranch. Well it can end well, too, can’t it?
She goes on to say in the article, which can be found here, “Animals should not be gifts, especially for children. They are not objects. Sooner or later the novelty wears off,” she said. “A puppy might very well be given to a shelter or tied to a doghouse outside alone. Don’t impulsively purchase an animal unless you know you are going to have the time commitment for the duration of this animal’s life. They are living, breathing creatures, just like we are.” We agree, but would also say that we are of the mind that people have a fairly good idea as to what they are getting to when they purchase a pet for their family. If not, hopefully they are aware of shelters and no-kill organizations that specialize in taking surrender pets in, fostering them, caring for them, and finding them new homes.
Later in the article, she indicates that unions can be successful, but still warns of the pitfalls one may encounter if not prepared. Overall, we disagree with the idea that pets should never be given as gifts, but urge people who do want to give a pup or kitty to be prepared.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login