2 Reasons NOT to Get a Christmas Pet

Here are two reasons not to get a puppy at Christmas that are not to do with how much a family has planned for one.

Backyard Breeders

For every good, responsible breeder there are ten out to make a quick Christmas buck regardless of the puppies welfare. This includes:

• Forcibly breeding bitches who are not ready to mate (either because they are too young or have had another litter that year already in time for the summer holiday rush).

• Interbreeding dogs which produces puppies who are then poor performers/genetically deficient

• Selling puppies that are younger than they claim they are, to the point that they are not fully weaned onto solids and who are not yet ready for their vaccines

• Illegally importing dogs from high-risk countries, falsifying vaccination and health records, selling sick puppies who are not ready for their new home. This leads to…

Christmas is a Terrible Time of Year to Have a New Pet of Any Kind

• There is usually a higher volume of people and pets entering the house. This leads to inconsistencies in training, and poor schedules leading to behavioral issues. There is also the danger of getting stepped on by visitors less-puppy aware than you, or being attacked by visiting dogs.

• There are more dangers around the house for an inquisitive puppy/kitten to get into, including: chocolate, tinsel, ivy, poinsettia, nuts, cooked bones, ornaments, antifreeze etc. Due to the higher volume of people/guests these are usually more unattended. Opening the door more frequently for guests arriving or leaving leaves a risk of bolting, getting into road accidents, or getting lost.

• Hosting a large number of people and a higher level of drinking may mean that the puppy/kitten isn’t #1 priority and may be forgotten about or mean ailments may go unnoticed longer.

• It may be difficult to reach a local veterinary practice not closed for the holidays. Those which are open will likely be extremely busy covering the closures as the number of Christmas-related emergencies ramp up.

• Due to Christmas spending the availability of funds to cover any emergency trip to the vets may not be there. Insurance may not have kicked in, or the emergency fund you plan to build on will not have had time to grow.

This is  a topic I feel strongly about, and if it helps even one person act just a little more cautiously then I’ll be pleased. I’ve seen enough young lights go out for preventable reasons, leaving their family devastated, and it kills me every time.