What to Consider when Giving a Pet as a Gift

As the Holidays approach, and parents are considering buying the kiddies a puppy or kitten to put under the tree, it brings up some important issues that should be seriously considered before making that important decision. Issues of responsibility and care. All too often, pets are purchased for a special occasion, only to be abused, given away, or euthanized when they are no longer serve their purpose.

A baby bunny bought for a child on Easter and let loose into the wild a few weeks later; an old dog whose only disability is its age, put to sleep because he can't run and play anymore; baby kittens put in a sack to drown in a river because they came into the world. What justifies these cruel actions?

So many people love their animals and respect their rights. They take the responsible action to neuter their pets so that unwanted babies are not brought into the world only to suffer a cruel end. They would never euthanize their "friend" because he's too old to play.

But, there ARE those hardened folks who see animals as nothing more than a commodity to do with them as they see fit - including giving them away, and even euthanizing them for no reason.

While giving a pet away because the owners could not bear the responsibility sounds bad, it may actually be a better situation for the pet itself. It is better that the pet has a happier home where he/she will be loved and wanted and well taken care for than it is for him/her to stay unwanted, unloved, and maybe even abused.

Laws are needed to protect animals from abuse. Scientific laboratories need to curb their animal studies - abuse in the name of science. Children need to be taught that animals are living, breathing creatures that deserve love and respect so that those same children grow up and care about the pets they adopt for their families.

We need to teach respect for animals even in our elementary schools so that it becomes engrained in our society that pets are a part of our lives, and they have rights that must be repected by ALL in our society. But, first, the adults must learn that degree of responsibility themselves.

Animals are as much a part of innocence as children are, and it is deplorable that our society is saturated with stories of their abuse! Please, when you go to purchase a pet for the Holidays, be sure that you can handle the expense and responsibility of taking care of that pet for the rest of its natural life. Pets are precious, and they are tempting bundles of fur and feathers (and sometimes even scales) when you pass by them in the pet store. But, they are a responsibility; and they are sure to be an expense. If you can't handle it, choose another gift - for your sake and that of an innocent animal who deserves the best of care and trusts its human family to give it to him/her. And once you decide to take on that little friend, live up to that commitment for the rest of your pet's natural life. And enjoy your time together.