Free Puppies for Christmas? Bad Idea!
Sometimes it breaks my heart when I see a “wanted” advert in a shop window or a newspaper asking for “free puppies for Christmas”.
“Wanted for Christmas Gift – free puppy for 5-year old child”.
Why do I find this upsetting? Because I don’t think it’s a good idea to give a child an animal as a Christmas gift.
Dogs are living beings, not toys to unwrap and play with and then discard once the festive season is over and the Playstation seems more inviting.
As a parent, if you take responsibility for bringing an animal into your home, that is exactly what it is – a responsibility. A small child or toddler can’t be expected to understand this if the animal is handed to them as a Christmas gift.
Too many parents unfortunately look for a free puppy at Christmas as a way to keep their overall costs down while trying to keep the kids happy. Bad idea.
And what about adverts where you see “free puppies” advertised? No surprises that this is often a way of just baiting potential customers to get them in the door. Often those puppies advertised as free are not actually free at all. Or if the puppies are free, there’s usually some kind of catch.
However, there are a number of responsible services and websites out there, who take a more duty-bound approach to pet adoption. The organizers behind these services will usually explain in detail the background behind each dog and why it is up for free adoption.
They generally take great care to ensure the puppy is going to a good home, that the adopting family is taking a responsible attitude and not just taking a “let’s get the kids a puppy for Christmas” approach.
So if you are looking for free puppies, try to find one of these responsible pet adoption services rather than some fly-by-night operator. Also, please don’t get the kids a puppy as a Christmas present!
For more information, please visit About Your Dog – a website that provides advice and information about dogs and dog ownership.
