Jim and Sally were discussing their 8-year-old son, Andrew, and 7-year-old daughter, Samantha’s, Christmas lists. At the top of Andrew’s was a puppy, and at the top of Samantha’s was a kitten. After much debate, Jim and Sally decided that adding a puppy and a kitten to their family would teach their children responsibility. Since both Jim and Sally worked outside the home, the kids would have to take responsibility for the animals once they returned home from school each day. Jim and Sally made plans to visit the local animal shelter, choose the animals and arrange for a Christmas Eve pick-up. This would be the best Christmas ever.Chris wanted to impress Amber, his girlfriend of three months, with the perfect Christmas gift. It was a little too early in the relationship for an engagement ring but he wanted to give a gift that showed how much he cared for her. After searching the Internet for hours and combing the local malls, Chris remembered Amber telling him a story about a Golden Retriever her family had owned when she was a child and how much she loved her. Smiling, he went to the local pet store and purchased a Golden Retriever puppy. Chris could hardly wait for Christmas Eve when he and Amber would exchange gifts at her downtown, fourth-floor apartment. This thoughtful gift could cement their relationship.Megan loves animals and lives in the country. This will be her first holiday as a young divorcee. Her family lives a plane ride away. She has a high-profile job that requires frequent travel. Nevertheless, she is lonely and her family will not arrive until Christmas Eve – a week away. Megan set up her real tree and decorated it with glass bulbs, miniature lights and tinsel. Driving into town, she passed a sign that read, “Free Puppies” and impulsively stopped. The puppies are a mixed breed of German shepherd and Chow, about seven weeks old. Megan decided to adopt one male and one female. After all, with her travel schedule she doesn’t want them to get lonely. She hurried to Petsmart to stock up on puppy food, toys, etc., and then happily rushed home with her new pets.Do any of the aforementioned scenarios sound familiar? Perhaps you can relate to Jim and Sally’s decision to adopt pets after their children put it on the top of their Christmas wish lists. Or maybe you have been on the receiving end of someone else’s idea that a pet is the perfect gift for you. Or perhaps you have faced times of loneliness, high anxiety or depression (especially around the holidays) that led you to seek companionship at your local animal shelter. While all the people in the above scenarios are well intentioned, their reasoning is flawed. It is NEVER a good idea to adopt or purchase pets during the holiday season. Why? Let’s look at this from a practical (the animals) view.Is your objective to make your children happy and teach them responsibility like Jim and Sally? Ann Hagerty, director of community resources for the Humane Society of the Pikes Region, strongly advises that pets should not be used for this purpose. “Parents must be the primary caregivers of family pets,” Hagerty said. “It’s not realistic to think children can handle the full responsibility of feeding, grooming, cleaning up after and training pets. Of course, kids should help with their care, but parents must willingly accept that they will be the primary care providers.”Pets also need veterinarian care. Vaccinations, health check ups, worming, heartworm medication for dogs, spaying or neutering for cats and dogs, are just a few of the first-year medical costs that can easily run $500 or more. In addition, grooming items, such as brushes, combs, shampoos and conditioners, toys, leashes, kitty litter boxes and a soft bed for Rover to sleep on are a few of the extra items required to care for your pets needs. And your pet’s diet is equally as important. If you feed your pet the least expensive food available or equally as bad, table scraps, expect your vet bills to increase.Have you, like Chris, given or received an unexpected gift of a pet? While Chris had the best intentions, he made several mistakes. First, Amber did not indicate that she wanted the responsibility of a pet. The dog she mentioned to Chris was a family pet that she remembered fondly from her childhood. She also lives on the fourth floor of an apartment building – not exactly the best place for a Golden Lab that needs room to roam. Amber also travels frequently for work and does not have the time to devote to a pet, and, because the dog was purchased at a pet store, its health is also in question. As Chris will soon find out, it is never a good idea to purchase/adopt a pet for someone else.Hagerty suggests if you feel strongly that a loved one does want a pet, give them a gift certificate from the humane society so the person can choose a pet. “You need to carefully consider how you and a pet will meet each others needs for companionship,” Hagerty said. “Choosing one’s own pet creates a bonding experience between the animal and the owner and lifestyle is prime consideration when choosing a pet. You can have all the love in your heart, but it doesn’t mean that you are prepared to meet an average of 15 years commitment to a pet.”Living alone in the country, Megan did have the space for the two dogs she adopted. And her schedule does not leave her a lot of extra time to meet the emotional needs of her dogs. She travels frequently and will have to hire a pet sitter. Her heart was in the right place, but she did not consider the needs of her new family members. Megan’s home is not animal proofed. Her tree is a hazard to her new furry friends. If the puppies drink from the tree stand, the pinesap could be lethal. Those beautiful hanging glass ornaments look like toys to the pups. Broken and eaten ornaments spell disaster. Tinsel can cause severe medical problems as it can wrap around the intestines of an animal and require immediate surgery. The same goes for holiday plants like mistletoe, holly and poinsettias. The first two are poisonous, and the poinsettia can cause severe gastric distress.Whether you adopt a puppy and/or kitten from your local animal shelter, a reputable breeder or a friend with a new litter (never a pet store) the animal will be stressed moving into its new surroundings. Your furry friend will need lots of attention, training and love to get used to being in its new home. How much free time do you have during the holidays? Consider the time, effort and financial aspect of owning a pet before you begin your search. “It is also critical that every member of the family be on board before you bring Fido home,” Hagerty said.If you still aren’t convinced to wait on that holiday adoption, then consider this. Hagerty said in December 2003, 56 cats and 165 dogs were adopted from the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region. From January 2004 to March 2004, 41 cats and 125 dogs were returned to the humane society. Not all were Christmas gifts, but many of them were, Hagerty said. “This creates maximum stress for the animals. Adjusting to the shelter is very difficult to begin with,” she said. “Then, the animal is released to a family who thought it was such a cute puppy or kitten. Three months later, the dog is chewing the furniture, relieving himself on the carpet and has doubled in size. It’s not the animals fault. None of it. It is the total responsibility of the owner to love and train their pets.”If you truly want to help the furry friends over the holiday season, bring food, treats, kitty litter, birdseed, leashes, collars, towels, blankets, food dishes, toys, etc., to your local animal shelter. If you are like Megan, facing some alone time during the season, call your local shelter and volunteer a few hours a week. The humans and animals alike will love you for it!Hagerty definitely does not want to discourage pet adoption – quite the contrary. She asks only that you be a loving responsible pet owner. Consider your lifestyle, finances and the time commitment for a pet before visiting the shelter. Wait until the tree comes down and the decoration are put away. Let us face the truth about the holiday season. For most of us, it is a happy but stressful time. There is shopping, decorating, baking, parties to attend and/or give, planning for the arrival of guests or planning your own departure to visit others. Is it really a good time to bring a new furry friend into your home and family?
