Time for a Christmas story.
Once upon a time, there was a little girl who always, always wanted a puppy. On Christmas, Mommy and Daddy decided to surprise her with a wee little puppy that they’d gotten in a little pet store in the mall. They paid through the teeth for him, but what’s a couple of hundred to make a little girl happy? Isn’t that what it’s all about?
The little girl woke up Christmas morning and was delighted to see the little wriggly guy stuffed into her stocking. She gently pulled him out, releasing a toenail that got stuck in the fabric (which elicited a yelp), and caressed him.
How does the story end? It’s like those choose-your-own adventure books. The best ending is that the little girl and her new BFF lived happily ever after or at least for a good long time. A better ending would have the puppy feeling lonely and the parents slipping out to a rescue to find an adoptable companion because they didn’t want to spend another $200, even if there was a discount sale for the puppies that the store couldn’t get rid of. Here are a few more possible endings:
The little girl had wanted a Lhasa apso and threw a tantrum. Meanwhile, the little guy was ignored and remained so for the rest of his life.
The dog had giardia, an infectious parasitical disease, which he’d gotten from his pen mates in the shop. Choose what happens next: 1. The parents take the dog to the vet and pay another couple hundred to get him well. 2. The parents take the dog back to the pet store, were refused a refund, and continued on to the shelter, where they dumped him.
The little girl was delighted with her new pet but not with the idea of bathing him, feeding him, walking him and picking up his poop. The dog wound up in the backyard on a short leash, virtually ignored.
Pets aren’t presents. They may be gifts in the sense that they enrich our lives, give us comfort, try our patience (in the best sense of the word), and teach us responsibility. They can be given to not only others but to ourselves at any time of the year, but they should never be surprises, particularly if the recipient has never expressed a desire for one. It has to work both ways.
Still, though, many are the parents and other relatives who promise children a cat, dog, rabbit or parakeet for their birthday or Christmas. When I was five, my Aunt Miriam gave me a neat little parakeet for my birthday. I named him Tweets, and he lived to be 10 years old. However, my father was the one to clean the cage, feed him, take him to the vet—thank heaven for good ol’ Dad. Before you make good on a pet promise for a child, friend, girlfriend or boyfriend, consider the following:
Are your children old enough to care for a pet or at least be a part of the process if they’re very young? Will they scoop the litter box or maybe hand you the scoop, accompany you on walks and either pick up the poop or hold the bag and give it over to you? Do they know how to be gentle and not pull on the little guy?
If your friend has expressed a desire for a pet, is the landlord OK with it?
Could you commit to behavior training for a dog or an alternative to clawing the furniture that doesn’t involve declawing a cat? Can you afford vet care and food for it? Is the recipient knowledgeable about the care that goes into an animal?
Mostly, is everyone committed to consider the pet a family member and not dump it if the pet gets sick, doesn’t match the furniture, has behavior issues that can be corrected, or you move? It’s true that sometimes circumstances prevent a pet from moving with a family; if you feel that this may be the case, is there a “godparent” who can take over the care?
Graphic courtesy of Anne Combaz.
If it seems as if I was being tough on stores that sell live puppies, kittens and rabbits that don’t come from shelters, B-I-N-G-O. As the poster states, shelters and rescues are filled with pets that have been dumped there. Many have come from backyard breeders, Craigslist or stray, unaltered pets, but others just haven’t worked out. And the “purebreds” that have “papers” or some other bloodline assurance and that have come out of pet stores but haven’t worked out either also contribute big time. There’s been plenty of ink and video well spent on puppy mills as a source of pet store dogs and cats, but that’s another article; a good reference is Oprah Winfrey (and who better?). In a nutshell, as every animal advocate avows, adopt, don’t shop.
To help anyone along, here’s a handy coupon that you can fill out and present to the recipient on Christmas day (sorry that I didn’t have it ready for Chanukah but maybe you can extend the eight-day limit this year). This way, you both (I suggest that because it’s so neat to watch the interaction, and maybe you’ll find someone irresistible) can go down personally to meet the new friend and fill out the papers. Then, you can hit the pet-supply store and load up on food, toys and goodies.
Design by Michelle Manion
And of course, I have suggestions for the best places to find cats and dogs. Here are their Facebook pages (a lot of them have photos!). And as a side note, they all accept donations.
City of Long Beach Animal Care Services (ACS)
Long Beach Spay & Neuter Foundation
Adopt and Shop in the Lakewood Mall (there are other locations) gives the experience of shopping in a pet store but the cats and dogs are from shelters only. They carry everything you need to keep your new friend in love and kibble.
Furry Christmas from our homedogs to yours! Photo by Merrilee Adler.
“Mistletoe hung from the gas brackets in all the front parlors; there was sherry and walnuts and bottled beer and crackers by the dessertspoons; and cats in their fur-abouts watched the fires;”
~ Dylan Thomas, “A Child’s Christmas in Wales”