FROM THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF ELMORE COUNTY
In celebration of National Mutts Day this Saturday, 2 December, what better time to talk about perhaps 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 Christmas 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/dog, cat/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 best new pet but also remind everyone that a pet is a serious commitment in responsibility, 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 only be small and puppy/kitten adorable for a few very short months. Then you will have the fun of a gawky, sometimes unruly, perhaps wild teenager for another few months before they begin to settle down into adulthood. Some breeds take longer to mature than others and will challenge you with two-three years of 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 Dachshund puppy versus a three-month old Labradoodle type – think digging and chewing on two very different scales. Even kittens can make for interesting challenges compared to a more sedate adult cat, so we suggest – get TWO 😊! But the rewards of learning your new pet’s personality, integrating them into your family routine, and being given complete and unconditional love in return are certainly 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 best done after careful deliberation and honesty about the kind of home, WE, the humans, can provide for that pet. But for your children or parents or siblings, what can work perfectly is to make 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.
Because far too often, we see the results of pets that were obtained spur-of-the-moment or with unrealistic expectations, we have an application process so that we can help any potential adopter make the right choice. We not only know more about the pets in our care than just their cute looks, we have a lot of experience as to why these pets were surrendered and what kind of placement might set both our pet and their adoptive family up for success. So, once we approve an adoption application, we will set up an appointment so that we can best facilitate a good meeting and hopefully successful adoption. Our goal is for our “mutts’ to find their best match so everyone will be happy for the duration of that pet’s life.
