Why a Pet is Not a Gift
Why a Pet is
Not a Gift
A
s a young child, I can remember many of
the things I asked for Christmas that I never
received. Atop my list every year, was a new
puppy. We had multiple dogs in our household,
but none were ‘mine’. I had countless dreams
of waking up Christmas morning to find that
cute, loveable, ball of fur with a bow wrapped
around its neck underneath our gigantic tree.
Of course, Santa
is smarter than the
average bear and
knew better than to
fulfill that Christmas
wish.
for Christmas last year? How many times did
she leave it in the front yard before it got
stolen? Or that Nintendo DS you got Tommy for
his birthday? Remember the time he got mad
and threw it across the room? Children are not
emotionally responsible for caring for a pet
and more times than not, the responsibilities are
placed on the parents. This in many cases leads
to resentment and diminished care for your pet.
As the holidays
approach every
year, I try to have
a plan of what gifts
will be purchased
for whom. However,
more times than
I would like to
admit, I’m left with
a cart full of impulse purchases as I approach
whatever big-box checkout I happen to be
in. Sales, deals, and the overall excitement of
the season can cause us to purchase goods
based on the convenience and cost rather than
the actual quality. The same holds true for
purchasing pets.
Once you
get the idea
of getting
a pet,
whether as
a gift or
otherwise,
it