PLEASE THINK TWICE BEFORE GIVING A PET AS A GIFT...

Do you have someone on your holiday or birthday shopping list who loves or wants a pet this year? Before choosing a pet for that person please take time to think about a couple of things. Most pets given as gifts end up in shelters and the majority of those are euthanized. I realize that it may take the surprise factor out of the gift, but including the person in the decision of which pet they would like to have is vital in making sure that both the person and the pet will result in a "good" gift and a happy home. Remember this is a gift that will last somewhere between 8 and 20 years, maybe even more.

Let the person you are buying for know what your intentions are. Be sure they want this too. Have the person go with you to look at the different dogs and cats or other pets available so that you can be sure which pet is right. It is so easy to get even simple things wrong, the color, the gender, the breed, the size. PUPPIES DO NOT STAY PUPPIES! 6 months from now, that adorable puppy is no longer cute but he does not understand why you don't still think he is. A year from now, he will begin to go through his own 'teen-age' year and can sometimes be quite the handful and frustrating. He still does not understand why you not longer treat him as you did when he first came home.

Please be sure the new pet is the right one for the person you want to buy for. You are not only giving a gift of a friend to another person, you are giving the gift of a family and a home to an living, caring, feeling, animal who has been forced to rely on your judgement.

CONSIDER GIVING a package that includes a toy, a treat, a leash and a collar, to show your intentions and then set a time when you and the person can go together to a shelter to look at pets in need of adoption and tell them you will pay the adoption fees for whichever one they choose.