Should you give a pet as a Christmas gift?

When I was a child, giving a puppy or kitten was a very normal thing to do at Christmas time. Christmas Day was a low key affair with just family hanging out in their PJ’s all day and the kids playing outside on their new bikes or toys.

The last 20 years or so the animal welfare groups have been pushing the “don’t give a pet as a Christmas gift” line. That was mainly because they thought all families had big parties around the holidays and it would only frighten the small kitten or puppy or confuse the older dog or cat new to the household.

My opinion is that every animal shelter or rescue should welcome an adoption of a pet no matter what time of year it is. Not every family has parties and in fact some families go though a depression phase because they can’t see their loved ones during the holidays and would welcome a wagging tail into their lives.

What is more important to the pet that is a gift at Christmas time is that it is loved and cared for, for the rest of its life

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