if a dog or cat is on the christmas list

[rdking647]

A Shelter Dog's Christmas Poem.

'Tis the night before Christmas
and all through the town,
every shelter is full -
we are lost but not found,
Our numbers are hung
on our kennels so bare,
we hope every minute
that someone will care,
They'll come to adopt us
and give us the call,
" Come here, Max and Sparkie -
come fetch your new ball!!
But now we sit here
and think of the days..
We were treated so fondly -
we had cute, baby ways,
Once we were little,
then we grew and we grew -
now we're no longer young
and we're no longer new.
So out the back door
we were thrown like the trash,
they reacted so quickly -
why were they so rash?
We "jump on the children:,
"don't come when they call",
we "bark when they leave us",
climb over the wall.
We should have been neutered,
we should have been spayed,
now we suffer the consequence
of the errors THEY made.
If only they'd trained us,
if only we knew...
we'd have done what they asked us
and worshiped them, too.
We were left in the backyard,
or worse -let to roam-
now we're tired and lonely
and out of a home.
They dropped us off here
and they kissed us good-bye...
" Maybe someone else
will give you a try."
So now here we are,
all confused and alone...
in a shelter with others,
who long for a home.
The kind workers come through
with a meal and a pat,
with so many to care for,
they can't stay to chat,
They move to the next kennel,
giving each of us cheer...
we know that they wonder
how long we'll be here.
We lay down to sleep
and sweet dreams fill our heads..
of a home filled with love
and our own cozy beds.
Then we wake to see sad eyes,
brimming with tears --
our friends filled with emptiness,
worry, and fear.
If you can't adopt us
and there's no room at the Inn --
could you help with the bills
and fill our food bin?
We count on your kindness
each day of the year --
can you give more than hope
to everyone here?
Please make a donation
to pay for the heat...
and help get us something
special to eat.
The shelter that cares for us
wants us to live,
and more of us will,
if more people will give.

~Author Unknown~

[G_j]

1. K&R

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[joeybee12]

3. Awwwwwww!

[KurtNYC]

2. I am all for adopting from shelters but I think giving an animal as a present is a terrible idea

Having an animal is a commitment and one that needs to be fully accepted by the person who will care for the animal. It is $600+ per year on food and another $500 to $$$$ for vet bills. A fenced yard, walks, a suburban house or an understanding landlord (good luck there), bedding, leashes, clean-up, training.

A dog isn't something that can be put in the closet and forgotten when the kids get tired of it or it gets "too big." If your child wants a dog for Christmas IMHO a good intro would be for them (and you) to dog sit for a friend. See just how much time and effort it really takes before bringing another living creature into the equation.

Imagine children being responsible for letting the dog get run over, shot, attacked by strays, sent back to the shelter, etc. -- they could be scarred for life.

[G_j]

4. from the poem:

..If you can't adopt us
and there's no room at the Inn --
could you help with the bills
and fill our food bin?
We count on your kindness
each day of the year --
can you give more than hope
to everyone here?
Please make a donation
to pay for the heat...
and help get us something
special to eat.
The shelter that cares for us
wants us to live,
and more of us will,
if more people will give.

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[ficuswoman]

5. Oh yes!

We give presents to all our rescue dogs and cats. They look forward to it and we can't wait to give them their presents!

[meti57b]

6. I can't read that. It is too sad. .....

Spay and neuter should be tax-deductible, and for those who are too poor to owe taxes, spay and neuter should be free and subsidized by some entity who understands the value and importance of having your own four-footed friend.

..... and no, I don't know who that entity would be, who would pay for that.

I do donate something to my cats' veterinarian, each year, for spay and neuter of cats that she takes in as rescues.

Cats and dogs are not only some folks' best friends, but often are their only friends.