KAROO NEWS - A cute puppy or fluffy kitten is very appealing and many people make the mistake of giving animals as gifts at Christmas time. 

They do not consider that the person receiving the pet is not prepared to take on such a huge responsibility. Children, particularly, lose interest in pets after the novelty has died down and the animal gets ignored, neglected and sometimes even dumped by "releasing it into the wild" where it may starve or be eaten. 

Cats and dogs are a 10 to 20 year commitment. The person receiving the pet present may not be in a financial position to properly care for their pet. Food, bedding, toys and especially annual and incidental vet bills may be out of their reach.

 They may have a lifestyle into which a pet will not fit - if they work full time the pet will be left alone all day causing separation anxiety and loneliness; if they live in an apartment the animal may not get enough exercise. Giving an animal as a gift to a child may give him the lasting impression that animals are there for our entertainment and are commodities to be bought and sold rather than respected as diverse and valuable beings. 

If the family as a whole decides to get a pet they will plan and prepare for the new family member who will be valued and loved. By buying pets from pet shops you may be supporting the unkind and unethical backyard breeders do not care for their animals and often keep them in terrible conditions.

If you do want to give a pet to someone who wants one and is prepared for one please go to the SPCA – they have a wide range of animals up for adoption who have been checked out thoroughly by their resident vet and are fully up to date with their vaccinations and are sterilised.

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