A Shelter Dogs Christmas Wish by Kidwell Productions_0001.wmv

No matter how you celebrate Christmas I would urge you all to spare a thought for the pet animals who are cast out of their homes over holiday periods for no reason other than inconvenience. When you offer a dog a home please make sure you are offering it a home for life. You will experience holiday inconveniences; illness (your own or your dog's); extra work; catering for an extra 'fur person' with different food requirements; dog fur in the car and on the carpet; an extra bath-time; walking where the dog can walk rather than where you yourself want to go; constant poop scooping; and extra time taken for regular walks, grooming, training and playing.

But in return you will receive total loyalty, unconditional love, the expectation that you and your dog will always be there for each other in good times and bad, a dedication to walking the family 'human' daily; and a whole heap of happy times that you may never have experienced without 'the dog'. A pet dog is a member of your family - nothing more, nothing less.

As for working dogs - they and their owners have a partnership too. Maybe it is an uneven partnership - the dogs usually do most of the work - but when did they ever care about that? All they ask is to be fed each day and to come home to a warm bed (or warm kennel) and a few kind words from their 'family' and they will give 100 percent of their time and effort. Sounds like a really good deal to me!

So when you are enjoying your extra large meals over the holidays, think of the dogs in shelters or refuges or the city pound. If you want to give them a real treat buy something especially delicious for them and drop it off at your nearest shelter. I know they would all love a juicy raw meaty bone (never cooked of course) and seldom receive such a treat in care. Why not go a little further and take just one or two for a walk? You could give a regular hour every week and it would ensure that you are also exercised (something most of us need) and you have the advantage of the dogs' company for a while without the demands of ownership.

There is so much that we could all do to make life a little happier for the world's homeless and badly treated dogs - why not make it one of your New Year resolutions to give help and support wherever and however possible to your local SPCA or animal shelter. Remember that every little helps. Just one tin of dog food means one more dog is sustained for another 24 hours. Worth thinking about isn't it?

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• Shelter
• Dogs
• Christmas
• Wish
• by
• Kidwell
• Productions
• 0001

[TheRealTDITilly]

The unfortunate side, is that too many people get puppies for christmas, but afterwards don't have the time or money. The dogs end up at or back at the shelter.

[DiamondsFaith]

I got my service dog from a kill shelter her tag showed she had three days left to live but I think her life was to end that night whoever says you can't buy love is wrong just visit a shelter there is all kinds of love to be bought there & I got a pet too but I got her before she made it to that shelter & she would have been put down.

[jet936]

I couldn't agree more with both comments. My 7 yo Choccie Labrador Jack is my second rescue friend and is a treasure....; - )))))

[gulfgypsy]

All of our dogs have been rescues ..... The cast-offs that someone didn't have teh time or love for. And in each case, the dogs who came into our home and hearts have been the most wonderful friend and companion! Regardless of whatever hurt or pain or fear they might have known in the past, they still gave humans another chance ... Wish we could all learn that. Please open your home and heart and become a 'Forever Family' for a dog in need!

[peace2pits]

True, the shelters are full beyond capacity. Consider a shelter animal before spending hundreds or a thousand on a mill bought pet store animal. You can't save them all but can you save just one? We did, and 4 years later he is still our shining star! 5+ great vid, as usual!