BY JILL WOOLFORD

Tuesday 8 December 2009

not so much a rant but a plead!



most people love christmas. the anticipation of opening presents, the joy of giving that something special, the look of amazement and excitement on childrens faces on christmas morning, meeting up with those relatives that you don't get to see often enough, the parties, the meals. all these things make christmas magical and arguably the best time of the year. . . for humans that is.

christmas is one of the worst times for animals. once the novelty wears off many pets are simply dumped by their new owners. they usually end up in animal shelters and if nobody buys them after a certain period they are killed. others simply roam the streets and get run over by traffic, starve to death or get captured for laboratories to experiment with.

i cannot stand it when i hear of people giving animals as pets for christmas! now its ok if you are a parent getting your child a cat, i assume you are intelligent enough to realise that you will be the one to take on the main responsibility for the upkeep of that animal. however, taking it upon yourself to assume that someone else is going to take care of an animal is pure stupidity! only a complete idiot would leave an animal in the care of someone who had not made the decision to keep an animal themselves. please have the brains to stop and think that maybe the reason they dont have an animal is because they dont want one, have the space for one or have the time for one??!!

this is not so much a rant, but a plead. please, please, please just stop and think! pets are not toys! they are living creatures with needs and feelings. a proper relationship with a pet is a long term one and needs a responsible and humane approach.

3 comments:

  1. animal cruelty of any kind makes my stomach turn and my blood boil over. Most if the animals I've had in my life have been rescued in some form or another. It's a cliché now but it's still so true, a pet is for life, not just for christmas.

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  2. I always advise people to get the 'stuff' that goes with getting a pet now, and then get the pet after Christmas - the animal won't be so stressed entering a chaotic Christmas celebration, but a calm new years house, and then the fun lasts too!

    So have leads/beds/books/toys under the tree and a 'voucher' that says "I promise to get a dog/cat/other animal in the new year". Also that way the whole family can choose.

    a good breeder or a rescue centre should refuse to sell/rehome at Christmas anyway.

    Great post - thought provoking

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  3. Thanks for this J - a powerful message and well delivered.

    Josie xx

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