Charlie is located in Boston.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Holiday Gift Giving Repurcussions
For a lot of people, the holidays are a time of happiness and family get togethers. For some, that may include getting a pet for the holidays.
While most shelters and rescues will try to persuade those against giving pets at the holidays, pet stores do a booming business without counseling the potential new pet owners on the dangers and pitfalls of holiday pet gift giving. Below are some things to think about before getting a pet as a present.
If giving a pet for the holidays are you SURE the person getting the pet really wants the responsibility? A new pet isn’t like a new book or sweater, it requires a lot of time, attention, and training its first months of life. You may want to consider waiting until the holidays are over and going with the recipient to a shelter, a reputable breeder, or through a rescue to get their new pet. That way the recipient gets to help choose the pet they really want.
Holidays are busy and full of dangers to young pets or even older pets new to the house. People coming and going in the house give the new pet a means of possible escape. Decorations and gifts within their reach could prove to be a choking hazard, poison hazard, or blockage hazard if eaten. You also don’t want to set up your new pet for failure by giving it access to things that you don’t want ripped up or soiled. Once again, it may be a better idea to wait until the holiday rush is over before selecting a new member of the family.
About three months after the holiday season, shelters and rescues are inundated with young pets given up by their owners. The excuses vary, but the usual reasons are:
1.) not enough time
2.) it can’t be trained
3.) I can’t afford it
4.) I have allergies
“Not enough time” goes hand in hand with “it can’t be trained”. Generally new pet owners have no idea how much time a new pet needs in order to be properly trained and acclimated into a new home. Although cats are easier to litter box train, dogs do require walks and exercise in order to go to the bathroom. A regular routine is best to help them learn the rules of the house, and where they are expected to go to the bathroom. If you get a puppy or a dog and not spend the time to teach it the rules, and routine, the dog will continuously potty in the house, which frustrates the owner and means a trip to the shelter, where only one of them comes home.
“I can’t afford it” usually means that the pet was purchased from a pet store. Its common knowledge that most pet stores buy their puppies from puppy mills. Puppy mills typically keep their breeding dogs in small cages, breed them frequently, much like a factory, and breed them with just about anything regardless of health issues or deformities. You are pretty much guaranteed of getting a sick dog if you purchase one from a pet store. The most common illness of a pet store puppy is kennel cough, an easily treatable disease depending on the strain, or it could become quite expensive if pneumonia or other complications set in. Other medical issues may pop up down the road such as Hip Dysplasia (very expensive to correct surgically) heart issues which may be fatal, cataracts, which lead to blindness, etc.
“I have allergies” is usually used either when people get a pet and do find out they are allergic, or is used as an easy excuse to give up a pet to a shelter.
So, before getting yourself or a friend a pet for the holidays, follow these simple guidelines:
1.) If you don’t have a routine schedule that will allow you to come home from work every 4 hours to take your new puppy out to go to the bathroom, don’t get a dog.
2.) If you don’t have at least 3 hours per night to spend with your new dog on training and socialization for the first few months, don’t get a dog.
3.) If you don’t have at least $1,000 to use to buy dog dishes, food, treats, toys, medical expenses, vaccines, check ups, and other items when you pick up your new dog... don’t get a dog.
4.) If you don’t have at least $1,000 a year to spend on JUST routine medical things for your dog, don’t get a dog.
5.) Nutritious dog food costs about $40 per bag and will last about a month depending on the size and nutritional requirements of your dog, figure that in for a full year, plus treats on top of the ROUTINE medical issues.
6.) Hip replacement surgery for a dysplasic dog runs about $3,500 per hip. A routine office visit, depending on your area runs about $35 just to walk into the door. Emergency visits run a lot higher. Do you have the money and are you willing to spend that money to care for your dog just in case?
7.) Before you get a new dog, cat, gerbil, bird, or fish, and before you gift one to a friend, make sure you aren’t allergic to any of those pets.
If you still want to gift a pet to a friend, or get one for yourself the best thing to do is to wait about three months after the holidays and visit your local shelter or rescue. Typically they fill up quickly with animals that seemed like a good idea at the time, but ended up being more than the new owner was willing to deal with. The only thing wrong with these animals is that they outgrew the cute puppy/kitten stage and were no longer wanted.
While most shelters and rescues will try to persuade those against giving pets at the holidays, pet stores do a booming business without counseling the potential new pet owners on the dangers and pitfalls of holiday pet gift giving. Below are some things to think about before getting a pet as a present.
If giving a pet for the holidays are you SURE the person getting the pet really wants the responsibility? A new pet isn’t like a new book or sweater, it requires a lot of time, attention, and training its first months of life. You may want to consider waiting until the holidays are over and going with the recipient to a shelter, a reputable breeder, or through a rescue to get their new pet. That way the recipient gets to help choose the pet they really want.
Holidays are busy and full of dangers to young pets or even older pets new to the house. People coming and going in the house give the new pet a means of possible escape. Decorations and gifts within their reach could prove to be a choking hazard, poison hazard, or blockage hazard if eaten. You also don’t want to set up your new pet for failure by giving it access to things that you don’t want ripped up or soiled. Once again, it may be a better idea to wait until the holiday rush is over before selecting a new member of the family.
About three months after the holiday season, shelters and rescues are inundated with young pets given up by their owners. The excuses vary, but the usual reasons are:
1.) not enough time
2.) it can’t be trained
3.) I can’t afford it
4.) I have allergies
“Not enough time” goes hand in hand with “it can’t be trained”. Generally new pet owners have no idea how much time a new pet needs in order to be properly trained and acclimated into a new home. Although cats are easier to litter box train, dogs do require walks and exercise in order to go to the bathroom. A regular routine is best to help them learn the rules of the house, and where they are expected to go to the bathroom. If you get a puppy or a dog and not spend the time to teach it the rules, and routine, the dog will continuously potty in the house, which frustrates the owner and means a trip to the shelter, where only one of them comes home.
“I can’t afford it” usually means that the pet was purchased from a pet store. Its common knowledge that most pet stores buy their puppies from puppy mills. Puppy mills typically keep their breeding dogs in small cages, breed them frequently, much like a factory, and breed them with just about anything regardless of health issues or deformities. You are pretty much guaranteed of getting a sick dog if you purchase one from a pet store. The most common illness of a pet store puppy is kennel cough, an easily treatable disease depending on the strain, or it could become quite expensive if pneumonia or other complications set in. Other medical issues may pop up down the road such as Hip Dysplasia (very expensive to correct surgically) heart issues which may be fatal, cataracts, which lead to blindness, etc.
“I have allergies” is usually used either when people get a pet and do find out they are allergic, or is used as an easy excuse to give up a pet to a shelter.
So, before getting yourself or a friend a pet for the holidays, follow these simple guidelines:
1.) If you don’t have a routine schedule that will allow you to come home from work every 4 hours to take your new puppy out to go to the bathroom, don’t get a dog.
2.) If you don’t have at least 3 hours per night to spend with your new dog on training and socialization for the first few months, don’t get a dog.
3.) If you don’t have at least $1,000 to use to buy dog dishes, food, treats, toys, medical expenses, vaccines, check ups, and other items when you pick up your new dog... don’t get a dog.
4.) If you don’t have at least $1,000 a year to spend on JUST routine medical things for your dog, don’t get a dog.
5.) Nutritious dog food costs about $40 per bag and will last about a month depending on the size and nutritional requirements of your dog, figure that in for a full year, plus treats on top of the ROUTINE medical issues.
6.) Hip replacement surgery for a dysplasic dog runs about $3,500 per hip. A routine office visit, depending on your area runs about $35 just to walk into the door. Emergency visits run a lot higher. Do you have the money and are you willing to spend that money to care for your dog just in case?
7.) Before you get a new dog, cat, gerbil, bird, or fish, and before you gift one to a friend, make sure you aren’t allergic to any of those pets.
If you still want to gift a pet to a friend, or get one for yourself the best thing to do is to wait about three months after the holidays and visit your local shelter or rescue. Typically they fill up quickly with animals that seemed like a good idea at the time, but ended up being more than the new owner was willing to deal with. The only thing wrong with these animals is that they outgrew the cute puppy/kitten stage and were no longer wanted.
Friday, December 21, 2007
Rivers, the blind Iditarod Sled Dog
If you want to read an inspirational blog from a blind Iditarod sled dog, go check out Rivers' blog.
It just goes to show you that there's nothing a pup can't do no matter what they are gimpy from.
It just goes to show you that there's nothing a pup can't do no matter what they are gimpy from.
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Support a Rescue that Supports the gimpy
Need some cool christmas gifts? Why not buy some from the Northern California Sled Dog Rescue fundraising auction?
There are some really great items, including a set of dog booties with vibram soles, sled dog design sweaters, Christmas items, handmade salt and pepper shakers with husky pups, some HTF plush, and doggie costumes. Please check it out, and please cross-post! Thanks!
There are some really great items, including a set of dog booties with vibram soles, sled dog design sweaters, Christmas items, handmade salt and pepper shakers with husky pups, some HTF plush, and doggie costumes. Please check it out, and please cross-post! Thanks!
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