Ho Ho Ho it’s Christmas Time. The cruellest thing you can do on Christmas. A Dog is not a Toy. Why it is a bad idea to give an animal as a Christmas Gift.

The unwanted Christmas Gift we all been there.

Christmas Time is a hectic time, and everyone rushes to get the presents and things ready to spend time with family and friends.

It is a time where thousands of Christmas present will be returned the next day. We all been there. Receiving a Gift we didn’t really want.

An embarrassing pullover from Aunt Megan, an ugly pair of socks, a tie or a useless electronic gadget. All of those items are easily returned or just put in a drawer and forget about it. Some even end up in the daily trash.

Giving a pet as a Christmas Gift. A bad idea for both the future pet owner and the pet.

Giving a living animal to someone and the person does not really want it or is prepared for it, that is the moment when it becomes disastrous. After all, it is an animal with feelings, it is breathing and deserves to receive love.

According to ASPCA In the days, weeks, and months following the festivities, animal shelters all over the world are inundated with animals who were given as a gift. I have to say those are the lucky ones, not every pet will be brought to a shelter.

Some will be abandoned in the woods or beside the road and left to fight for themselves. Some will die, starve to death or get hit by a car.

Some guardians will advertise and look for a good home, the danger here is that they might get in the wrong hands and are used for dog fights or for animal testing.

Pet Shops advertise their pets and some people get supercharged with the idea of giving a puppy or kitten as a Christmas gift.

It sounds great and cute thinking of the surprise and the face including the tears. I don’t want to spoil your Christmas present but giving a pet as a Christmas present is a not a good idea.

Let me tell you why it is not a good idea?

Having a pet and inviting it to become part of the family is a family decision.

Not a spontaneous one it is a decision you want to have discussed and thought through. There are much more things to consider as just the video you can upload and share with your social media tribe and friends.

A dog is not a toy, nor is a cat, a toy. Those are animals living beings, and yes, they do have feelings.

The internet is full of lovely videos and photos of puppies. Kittens packed in Santa cloth and puppies with Santa hats coming out of boxes.

The reactions of those who receive them. You can find thousands of videos where joy comes into a person’s life, and it is accompanied by happy tears.

Why should an animal not to be considered as a gift?

After all, we are talking about a living being and an animal that requires care and attention. The Shelters getting full after the Christmas months with animals what are given as a gift, but when people realize what kind of work and commitment is involved, they give them up. I do not say all are like this and some people are happy and commit to a lifetime keeping the pet.

What a lot of friends do not realize when they give you a pet as a Christmas Gift that the cute puppy needs training, and will do a lot of mischievous things. Without proper training and care, the puppy can become a dog that is not listening to the owner or becomes aggressive.

Same goes for the aquatic part like turtles they are so cute when you buy them so tiny and small.

Unfortunately, they grow quickly out of the small Aquarium and without a proper filter system, the water becomes quickly dirty and smells. That is why many end up in the local River system.

Is it right to give pets as a gift for Christmas? We should always keep in mind some critical points before considering giving a pet as a Christmas gift. 

A Pet is a lifetime commitment and a loyal family member

Having an animal is a decision that can change a person’s life a lot. It’s a long-term commitment. You can’t change them, you can’t give them back. That’s why before giving an animal to someone else, we must make sure that the person understands the responsibilities to have an animal in their life.

Even more important are they up for this challenge and are they living in an environment where they can accommodate a cat or a dog. ( check out our free dog breed calculator. Choose the right dog for you )

Therefore, the person should have verbalized the desire to adopt. Also, we must be clear that the animal gets the time and space it requires.

Adoption is a great solution to help abandoned animals.

Theoretically, the more animals adopted, the better for them, for shelters and for the families. Is that so? More or less. Statistics show that during Christmas or holidays, the abandonment rates increases. This is why some associations and NGOs temporarily closed adoptions on Christmas Eve.

It is essential to highlight that in the spirit of Christmas, there are non-certified breeders that sell pets before they are ready to be taken from the mom.

Those pets come without their proper vaccinations, and without worrying about their welfare.

This will obviously translate into behavioural issues and health problems of the animals.

Most of the Pets bought on the streets will die as they are breed for business and not for the well being of a Pet.

“Pets should not be considered a commodity.”

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Puppies and Kids are great together but consider a dog or a cat is not a toy.

There are many cases of children who wish to have a dog as a pet animal, and there is really nothing wrong with that. It is one of the best things that can happen to a child having a dog or cat around and grow up with it.

Who hasn’t heard that speech saying if you have a dog, you’ll have to take care of him? However, it is essential to remember that they are children and that they cannot be 100% responsible for a dog. It is, in the end, the responsibility of the parent.

When adopting an animal, parents should be aware that it is their responsibility, and the fact that the child does not care for the dog is no excuse for abandonment.

It is a family decision I can not stretch it often enough. Pets, in my opinion, should only be given as a gift by parents to the kids, at least they have put some thought into it.

Pets as a Christmas Gift. Consider all changes and challenges.

*If you are determined to give a pet to make a person happy, old or young consider different factors.

*Is there enough space for the pet?

*Can the person or family accommodate a pet?

*How many hours a day is a pet alone. If more than 8 hours do not give a pet as a gift.

*Is the person or family able to accommodate the vet and food expenses?

*Make sure the person is not allergic to pets.

*Does the person have experience with pets?

*If the pet is a dog, is the person or family able to walk with the dog regular?

There are a lot of things to consider and please think before you make the decision to give someone a pet as a Christmas gift. Understand the pet like a dog or cat will be hurting if it is returned after Christmas.

Pets have feelings and emotion the same as you. It will not understand why you leave it alone in a shelter and abandon it.

If you want to give a pet as a gift, you assure that the person is ready for the commitments and responsibilities. 

It’s time to think about the pet’s arrival at the new home.

If it’s a puppy or a kitten, you should remember that they will be separated from their mother and siblings.

They will come to a home full of people and stimuli that will probably make it more than uncomfortable for the pet. The first night it will cry and call out for the siblings and the mom. You might not get much sleep.

You must have a bed or a playpen prepared in a quiet place in the house where they can sleep and be away from excessive noise and groping. In short, a comfortable place to hide.

You should also have toys and food. An alternative way to avoid the stress of arriving at a new home is to surprise the person with an adoption certificate.

This is a good way for the future pet owner to be ready. The adaptation will be less stressful, and the future owner will have time to choose a pet, accessories and bed himself. The future Pet owner can also prepare himself or the family mentally for the new member.

Consider adoption before you buy from a Breeder.

If you buy from a Breeder, please make sure it is a certified Breeder and not an illegal Breeder who breeds pets for the sake of money.

Choosing adoption over buying is a wise decision.

In addition to being a much cheaper option, we’ll stop financing illegal breeders and avoid indiscriminate dog breeding.

You will also save an abandoned and homeless pet and give space in the shelter for another pet to arrive.

In 2018 this video footage went viral RSPCA posted it. Everyone was so touched even Snoop Dogg and Andrew Neil offered to take the dog in.

But if that person’s wish is to have a specific breed, we recommend you to look for a kennel that has all the papers.

It will give a guarantee that it is reproducing healthy pets with specific veterinary tests, and that has a hygienic space that favours the welfare of the puppies.

You will be surprised how many dog breeds are abandoned every day, and you can find in a shelter. Go on the internet and look around in animal shelters near your area. I got our Doberman and German Shepard from a shelter. Alone in the US, there are yearly around 1.6 Million Animals euthanized. 670.000 Dogs and 860.000 Cats.

Both of my dogs have been Christmas gifts and sent to the shelter with only 5 months old. I guess the owners did not consider how big they get, and that they will chew and destroy in their puppyhood a lot of things they can get their teeth on.

Remember that many pet breeds are also abandoned and need a home. In a pet who comes from an animal shelter, you find a loyal companion.

We hope that all this information will help you evaluate whether or not it is positive to give pets as a Christmas Gift.

And how you can assure the pet has found a family or owner for life.

If you liked my blog Ho Ho Ho it’s Christmas Time. The cruellest thing you can do on Christmas. A Dog is not a Toy. Why it is a bad idea to give an animal as a Christmas Gift. Please like and share with family and friends. Visit our Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter page.

I wish you a wonderful a festive Season.

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All yours Melanie

Source Information https://www.aspca.org/animal-homelessness/shelter-intake-and-surrender/pet-statistics

• Approximately 6.5 million companion animals enter U.S. animal shelters nationwide every year. Of those, approximately 3.3 million are dogs and 3.2 million are cats.  We estimate that the number of dogs and cats entering U.S. shelters annually has declined from approximately 7.2 million in 2011.  The biggest decline was in dogs (from 3.9 million to 3.3 million).
• Each year, approximately 1.5 million shelter animals are euthanized (670,000 dogs and 860,000 cats).  The number of dogs and cats euthanized in U.S. shelters annually has declined from approximately 2.6 million in 2011.  This decline can be partially explained by an increase in the percentage of animals adopted and an increase in the number of stray animals successfully returned to their owners.
• Approximately 3.2 million shelter animals are adopted each year (1.6 million dogs and 1.6 million cats).
• About 710,000 animals who enter shelters as strays are returned to their owners. Of those, 620,000 are dogs and only 90,000 are cats.