Its getting to be crunch time – only a few days left before Christmas and many people will be rushing around to find that perfect gift – the “WOW” gift that will be remembered long after the decorations are put away… A gift that everyone will love… and sadly, that can mean a spur of the moment trip to the local petstore.
Its easy to walk in and envision a cute little puppy in a stocking or hiding in a box with a beautiful red bow. Heck, that was MY idea of perfect Christmas! BUT, pet stores are NOT the place to get your fuzzy gift this holiday. Pet stores sell dogs who come from puppy mills – places that breed dogs for money – not love and companionship. Places that pile dogs in crates and give them little food, water or shelter – and no affection. I do not care what any pet store tells you – their dogs come from horrible places…and the parents of the puppies in those stores spend their lives in little crates never to see the light of the day or feel a soft human touch.
But, that does not mean you can’t surprise a loved one with a furry friend this season… Just look up a local shelter or animal rescue and I guarantee they will have many pets looking to be home for Christmas. You can also go to www.petfinder.com where you can put in the kind of pet your are looking for, your zip code and it will search their huge database of rescue organizations to find you what you are looking for – it is that easy!
And, yes, there are puppies and yes, there are purebreds… But, truthfully, I bet you fall in love with an older dog that is nothing but a mutt!
When you rescue a pet – I believe you rescue a part of yourself. Giving a dog a second chance – a forever home – something they never had before is reward in itself.
I recently got this link from one of my fellow rescuers and I think it is definitely worth sharing at Christmas… Sometimes people fail to see the potential in the dogs we rescue and if you were ever on the fence about why you should adopt and not shop for your pet – I think this will convince you of the power of love and second chances:
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/8668677
(Just copy and paste the URL - I couldn't get the link to work today! - I promise it is worth your two minutes!)
Please, if you decide you want your stocking filled by the chimney with something floppy eared or with long whiskers – adopt this holiday season and give a pet the gift of a family.
The pictures above are of Thorp - the dog I rescued from an Amish Puppy Mill... Those are his before and afters. Take a look at the video if you want to see more true heartwarming makeovers.
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