By Kailey Franklin, staff writer
With the holiday season blazing in, many people are struggling to find gifts for those they love. To make it a bit easier, here’s a tip: don’t get them a pet.
People tend to romanticize about giving people cute puppies and kittens, among other animals, as presents. What most of these people fail to consider is the responsibility that inherently comes with a pet.
Pets are not a one-time-purchase gift. Pets require food, veterinarian appointments, vaccinations, collars, leashes, licenses, and toys. Many types of pets require regular exer- cise and many also require quality time with their owner.
In addition to this, some pets, like cats and dogs, can live up to 20 years. A pet imme- diately becomes a hefty gift.
A ton of research should be done before getting a pet, and when given as gifts, both the giver and the receiver usually nix this step. This is especially true with dogs.
Two of the most frequently cited reasons that shelters get for giving up dogs are that the dog got too big and/or too rowdy. While this might be unavoidable for a mixed-breed dog, this is no excuse for a purebred dog.
Each breed has a set of inherent characteristics, which include the general size and general energy level. If a person doesn’t do their homework, then this becomes a huge problem.
More things to consider are allergies and grooming. Certain breeds of dogs and cats have more involved grooming regimens, and certain breeds shed heavier, which can be a problem for their owners.
While people like to think that giving their loved ones a cute Labrador puppy would be a good idea, it’s not, as the book Marley & Me by John Grogan proves.
Still struggling to find a gift idea? Get your person a sweater. Sweaters don’t require vaccinations.