Novemebr 2021
Forever Friend
When you want to buy an animal for a pet it’s usually with the intentions of having them long term. However this is not always the case as we are seeing daily at the moment.
During the lockdowns many people turned to buying what could be possibly their first pet. Due to the circumstances of people being home for long periods, it probably seemed like a really good idea at that time.
Sadly, now that everything is returning to normal, we are seeing a lot of dogs being given to Rescues or sold online. With Christmas approaching we all know the usual Dog’s Trust video ‘A Dog is for Life’. This famous saying has been going since 1978! This is something we at Justice for Reggie strongly believe in. The thought of welcoming a pet into the family is a hard choice. Making sure you pick the right pet for your family that you will love unconditionally, as they will you, is a decision that should be made over some months or even a year. It is not something that you should decide in a couple of hours.
Every Christmas we read and see the same news, pets being dumped after being bought as a Christmas present. Dogs Trust recorded 2247 calls in January 2021, compared to in January 2018 when the RSPCA received 1678 calls of abandoned dogs.
Some of the worst reason’s heard by Dogs Trust for giving up their dog:
1. I won a free holiday and I cant take the dog with me
2. I’m a vegetarian and he all ways wanted to eat meat!
3. I got him a secret Santa present
4. She was too friendly and wanted and meet and great everyone and dog we saw while on a walk
5. He was panting to much
6. He didn’t like it when we played dress up
7. She sleeps in her own bed all night – I thought she would want to sleep in my bed.
Sadly this is the case every year, the research is never done and families make rash decisions without thinking of the consequences for the pet and for the family. During the last 2 weeks of December Rescue centres close their doors and do not allow any pets to be adopted.
We see on social media the masses of puppies ‘ready for their forever home’ but have you wondered where or who has bred these puppies, the conditions they are bred in and considered the welfare of the puppies and their poor parents who maybe just used for breeding? Authentic breeders would not advertise on social media nor would they word it so appallingly, or try to hide anything. A licenced breeder would ensure the puppy contract is in play and that if there are any problems or concerns with the new family they will have the puppy back. They would also vet the potential buyers to see if that particular breed is suitable for them.
The puppy contract is a contract between seller and buyer. The contract is a form of returns policy, if the puppy is not settling in to the new family surroundings or years down the line, a private matter arises, the seller is the first person to be contacted about having the dog back. We see at the moment illegal breeders who are only breeding for profit and not for anything else. Sadly, breeding a dog proceeds more money than drugs and is a lower risk.
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2010/dec/31/three-pets-abandoned-christmas-rspca
https://www.expressandstar.com/news/uk-news/2017/12/02/rspcas-abandoned-toy-puppy-christmas-advert-racks-up-thousands-of-views-online/
Neither of the above articles are recent but yet we are still seeing a huge rise in abandoned puppies after the festive season. People do little or no research into having a dog and consequently they don’t understand the needs of being a loving dog owner. If you are considering getting a dog of any kind, make sure to do your research and make sure that you are emotionally and financially prepared for the responsibility of looking after a living creature. At the end of the day you will be their best friend and they will love you unconditionally. The evidence also states that owning a dog is really good for you, as long as you are prepared to commit for the rest of their lives.