FROM THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF ELMORE COUNTY
With Christmas now coming up fast, many families may be thinking of adding a new pet to the family. Christmas can be a good time as many people are on extended time off from work and have time to integrate a new pet into the home. But it can also be a super busy time with shopping, parties, church activities and, for some, actually TOO busy a time to bring in a new pet. And no matter the holiday, come 2 January, most people are back to work and getting into the pattern of another year. What this means is before getting a pet for Christmas (or anytime for that matter), we ask that everyone give some thought to personal schedules to ask if this is truly a good time to add a cute new puppy or kitten to the family. Getting off to a good start will set the tone for the rest of the pet’s life so please plan ahead before bringing home a new pet, no matter what time of year.
We love helping families find their new best pet but also remind everyone that a pet is a serious commitment in money, time, training, patience and love. And considering that many of our dogs and cats live well into their teens, may have medical needs during their lives, and look to us for all of their needs, adding a pet to the family should only be done after much consideration and planning for both the near-term and long-term.
For those who bring in a new puppy or kitten – they will be small and puppy/kitten adorable for only a few very short months. Then you will have the fun of a gawky, unruly, wild teenager for another few months before they begin to settle down into adulthood. Some breeds will challenge you with two-three years of boisterous, sometimes maddening behavior and you simply need to be up to that challenge. Doing some breed research before bringing home that new puppy can help you prepare for what challenges they may bring as there is a rather big difference in the antics of a three-month old Yorkie puppy versus a three-month old Labrador puppy – think digging and chewing on two very different scales. But the rewards of learning your new pet’s personality, integrating them into your family routine, and being given complete and unconditional love are all worth it to those of us who think of our pets as family.
Most Shelters, us included, discourage giving pets as gifts to non-family members as getting a pet is a very big and special thing and all of us don’t look for the same thing in a pet. But for your children or parents or siblings, what can work perfectly is to gin up an Adoption Gift Certificate, perhaps get a stuffed toy dog or cat and some toys, food bowls, etc and put everything in a big basket with a bow as that first step towards finding that next pet. Then, after all the hoopla of the holidays has settled a bit, the search for that great pet match can begin.
We have found that the #1 most adopted pets at our Shelter just prior to Christmas are kittens. This is an odd year in that kitten season has never really slowed so we have many kittens that will be ready for adoption before Christmas. Please understand that all of our adoptions require an application and once approved we then set up an appointment for everyone to meet and finalize any adoption. There will be no adoptions done on Sat, 24 Dec – only pick ups of preapproved adoptions. And yes, you can apply for just a ‘kitten’ as opposed to naming one in particular as we know that about 50% of folks who come to meet a particular kitten or cat end up going home with another. For those that might want a puppy – sadly January is generally a huge month for puppy intake from those that were not sold or given away for Christmas. So waiting into late Jan-Feb can not only get you through the hustle and bustle of the holidays but save a life when the need is the greatest!
