Please adopt, don't shop pets for Christmas | ExpatWoman.com
 

Please adopt, don't shop pets for Christmas

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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 20 December 2016 - 10:44
Hi there, I know Christmas is a time of gifts and many consider pets as the right "gift" to give, particularly to children. Please remember that pets are for life, not just for Christmas - a cat or dog can live as long as ten to twenty years. Relocating them abroad when you leave the UAE will be expensive and time-intensive in preparation. The situation of dumped pets in the UAE is worsening by the month, many of them left behind by previous owners who no longer want them, or are leaving the country. Pets are a lifetime commitment, and require running costs, such as for food, litter, vet bills. Dogs require regular walking. This sounds all obvious, but the annual boom in animal purchases every Christmas, followed by a wave of pet dumping in following months, just shows that unfortunately, it seems a message still worth putting out there. [b'>Adopting versus buying[/b'> If you are thinking about having a pet, please consider adopting, rather than buying a pet. There are many volunteer groups in the UAE looking after abandoned and injured stray animals, including kittens, puppies, adult cats and dogs, rabbits, both healthy and special need animals. All of these animals need a home much more urgently than animal market sellers need your money. There are no registered charities in the UAE that can collect money for animal welfare, so all this work is done out of the pockets of volunteers. So if you would like a pet, please consider adopting from them, rather than spending money on "buying" a pet. [b'>Adopting versus fostering[/b'> If you would like to help animals but cannot commit for a lifetime, please consider fostering. Fostering can help save lives and it is time-flexible, from a few days emergency cover to a few weeks or months. It's also a great way of introducing your children to the love for animals, even if only for a short period of time. If you are not sure whether a cat is for you, fostering can be a great way to find out. Your foster cat will thank you forever. Christmas is a particularly difficult time as many people are away and there are fewer fosterers than usual. If you are staying over Christmas, please consider fostering over this period. Sorry for the long post.