FAYETTE COUNTY, WV (WOAY) – Want to add a cat or dog to your family at Christmastime? It needs to be a well-thought-out decision, not an impulsive one.
While you’ll always have a best friend, animals are a lifetime commitment and responsibility.
Don’t take this choice lightly.
“Dogs get big, cats get older, (and with it) comes responsibilities like their food, vet bills, anything they might need in their future is something you need to take into consideration,” said Fayette County Humane Society Executive Director Fallyn Wakefield.
According to Wakefield, they always say “Three, three, three.” it takes shelter pets especially three days to come around, three weeks to decompress, and three months to show their personalities.
“So when people get these animals and they’re not exactly like how they think they’re going to be, then they kind of panic and bring their animal back,” the executive director said. “Then we’re in the same situation we’ve been in.”
Even if your children are begging for a holiday furbaby…
“Especially with younger kids — I know they’re going to say, ‘Mom and dad, I’ll take care of this animal.’ But it usually ends up with the adult taking care of the animal,” said Wakefield. “Put thought behind it. When you’re bringing an animal into your home and then you have to bring it back to the shelter, you’re putting that animal in emotional distress and it’s not fair to that animal.”
Instead of getting a pet right now, she suggests bringing your child down to the shelter to volunteer and learn the effort required to care of these kittens and puppies.
“It shows them the responsibility of what it takes to take care of these animals,” the executive director said. “A lot of people see these puppies and kittens and they’re like, ‘it’s so cute,’ but they don’t realize (you) got to put some consideration behind getting an animal for the holidays.”
