Giving Children Pets as Presents: The Pet Promise Certificate Alternative

Parents often consider giving their child a pet as a present for Christmas, a birthday, or other occasion. Letting your child have a pet is a decision that should be met with careful thought. Instead of just running out and getting one, Petfinder.com offers a wonderful alternative called the Pet Promise Certificate that will help you take steps toward getting your child a pet instead of rushing into a decision that may end in disaster.

Things to consider before you make the final decision to let your child have a pet. You need to understand that a pet will add more to your family's life and schedule, that a pet is a year round responsibility, and a pet will cost money to take care of and may even need expensive veterinary care.

If you have put careful thought into all that a pet will add to your household, then consider whether or not your child is ready for a pet. If your child is too young to care for a pet on their own, are you willing to make the commitment and do you have the time to help? If you can honestly say yes, then a pet can be a wonderful addition to your home. Obviously, the older the child, the more they should be able to take care of a pet on their own. If your child is old enough to care for a pet on their own, has your child proven responsibility in other areas of life like chores and homework? If so, then it may be an appropriate time to reward them for their responsible behavior with the gift of a pet making the Pet Promise Certificate on Petfinder.com the perfect step towards getting that pet.

The Pet Promise Certificate on Petfinder.com. Petfinder suggests you give your child a pet gift with the Pet Promise Certificate. It could be something like a dog collar and leash, a cat bed, or whatever would go with the kind of pet your child wants. You can download and print the Pet Promise Certificate on Petfinder.com. With the Pet Promise Certificate, you promise to pay the adoption fees for the pet and your child promises to take good care of that pet.

The Adopter's Pledge on the certificate is a list of promises that the recipient (your child) must read and agree to before the giver (you) and recipient sign and date the certificate. The list of promises sets the stage perfectly for talking to your child about the responsibilities of owning a pet. It is important to help them realize that a pet completely depends on their owner to take care of them and that if they do not take good care of their pet, it could get sick or die. Let your child know that owning a pet is a serious, long-term commitment. You should also stress the importance that signing the adopter's pledge means they understand the responsibilities and commitment and promise to take good care of their pet.

Once you believe your child understands and is ready to make the commitment of caring for a pet, you can both sign and date the Pet Promise Certificate and start looking for a pet.

Choose a pet together on Petfinder.com. Petfinder.com works with thousands of shelters and animal rescue groups and literally has hundreds of thousands of pets available for adoption in a wide variety of kinds and breeds. I spent a few minutes looking and found cats, dogs, rabbits, hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, hedgehogs, ferrets, mice, rats, birds, snakes, lizards, geckos, turtles, frogs, tarantulas, scorpions, and more!

You and your child can choose what kind of animal you are looking for from the animal drop-down menu. You can also enter a breed if you have a specific one in mind. Next you put in your zip code for location and hit search. Petfinder will give you a list of the kind of pet you chose within one hundred miles of you, starting with the animals from the shelters and animals rescue groups nearest to where you live. There are usually pictures of the animals, along with a little information about it like male or female and approximate age. There are also little icons by the animals telling you if it has special needs or is better off in a home without cats, dogs, or small children. Some will even have a video icon letting you know you can watch a short video of that pet.

When you see an animal you are interested in, you can click on the picture to read more about it and find the contact information for the shelter or animal rescue group that has that pet. Once you find an animal you are interested in adopting, you can use the contact information to find out what the adoption process and fees are. Many of the shelters and animal rescue groups will encourage you to come meet the pet you have chosen before making the final decision to make sure their personality and needs will fit your household.

Giving and Receiving. When you make the decision to get your child a pet from a shelter or animal rescue group on Petfinder.com, you are not only giving your child the gift of a pet, but that pet is also receiving the gift of a second chance to have a loving home.

Related Content:

Giving Children Pets as Christmas Presents

Sources:

Petfinder.com - Pet Promise