An interesting post on craiglist

[MimzMum]

I was cruising craigslist tonight…since my local sheleter’s page is down. Found this quite by accident. This message, or something like it, should be shared widely. Amongst this were at least 10 other posts that were all about ‘giving away’ or rehoming rabbits who are ‘just too much to take care of.” Most of them referred to the poor bunnies as “it”. Sadly, none in my local area, or I’d take them ALL home. (Anchorage is 7 hours by car from here.)

http://anchorage.craigslist.org/pet/1481088162.html

 

Pets for presents (alaska)

Please don’t give pets as presents to your children or loved ones…

There are so many hidden responsibilities with animals- so many of them are abandoned later because of these responsisbilities.

You have to feed them, give them clean water, provide a suitable shelter, enrichment such as toys, regular vet visits, medicine when theyre sick, dental care, excercise. It just keeps going.
If you want to provide a person with a living thing as a present, get an orchid or a bonsai tree. They take the same amount of effort, but with fewer consequences if the receiver can’t keep up with them.

I know people who got their children rabbits for easter… 6 months later, the rabbits have over populated those neighborhoods because they were not fixed first.
How many of those families kept their family rabbit? ZERO.
Nobody wanted to clean up the poop, fill the feeders, change the bedding, etc etc etc.
They just let them go because there are other rabbits in the neighborhood.
BOOM population explosion.

The same can be said about outside cats that are not fixed or cared for; they will over breed and they life expectancy is severely shortened. An outside cat lives about 4 years.
Dogs are adorable as puppies, especially the little dogs, but they grow up and need our help to stay healthy. Can you commit to giving insulin shots if they are diabetic? How about dental work?
Animals are not gifts- they are living, breathing expenditures that need to be supported for a long time.

PLEASE DON’T GIVE ANIMALS AS PRESENTS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

[Monkeybun]

3 cheers for that, pets aren’t toys to give at Christmas, especially to younger children who will get bored of them a day later.

[Beka27]

YAY! That is wonderful! I highly respect anyone who takes the time to post something like that, even if it just reaches one person… it is not a wasted message!

[Barbie]

Oh that’s great! I’m going to post one similar on my local Craigslist!

[Barbie]

… do you think I can just re-post that one? It’s well written and I don’t think I could say it any better….

[MimzMum]

I would at least send a note to the person who authored it and ask if you can use it first, but it’s such an excellent message, I don’t think it’s best kept to oneself. Maybe a note that you got it from the AK CL in your post or something if you want to give credit.
lol…well it did reach one person that I know of…but they were preaching to the choir so… Hence why I brought it here to maybe send it onward. ^_^ I thought of sending it in an email chain, but I don’t think those get viewed that often…most of my own forwards I just delete without giving them a sniff. On craigs or petfinder, it goes right to the heart of the matter.

[Barbie]

Oh yeah, I didnt see that you had posted the link there too. Duh. I’ll go do that! Thanks.

[KytKattin]

Here here! Now give me a gift card for $60 so I can go buy that canary I have been eyeing… lol. That makes it a bit different. I’ve never forgot Homeward Bound (was it 2 or 3?) when they went to San Fran and the leader of the pack of stray dogs there was a Christmas present that the kid didn’t want so they just left him in the gutter. Normally movies aren’t good at educating kids like that. I suppose I could get a puppy for my (future) kids on Christmas, but it would really be my dog and my responsibility and plus it is best to get a puppy in spring as it makes house training easier.

[Author]

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