Puppies as gifts for Christmas and Epiphany…? NO, THANKS…
Today I was at a veterinary clinic when a man claiming to be a breeder of miniature dog breeds arrived. He brought in some puppies to arrange their passports and send them via a courier service to various locations in northern Spain.
The man told the vet that despite the crisis, he had sold all the puppies through his website, describing it as the best season of the year without needing to lower prices. He boasted about how well he handled everything, mentioning taking them to a transport agency…
Unable to hold back any longer, I skipped the introductions protocol and directly confronted the “guy,” asking him if he had ever considered how a puppy might feel being put in a crate at 10 in the morning and not arriving at its new home until the next day, 24 hours later. His response was, “that’s not my problem, I need to get paid first for the dog, I give a week’s guarantee against distemper and parvo, and if the puppy is healthy, it’s up to the owners to take care of it…” He continued justifying his actions, but I stepped outside for a moment to breathe some “fresh air” because his words were hitting me hard…
There is no human justification for believing it’s acceptable to confine an INNOCENT PUPPY for 24 hours or more (I’ve heard of cases up to 70 hours from Malaga airport to the United States). The stress, insecurity, and anguish become so severe that some dogs are traumatized for life.
Anyone who buys a puppy online without personal contact with the breeder, who expects a “package delivery person” to bring their living merchandise home, surely hasn’t thought through what they’re doing. Would anyone send a young child alone, locked in a crate for hours, to a stranger’s house? Comparing humans to dogs is tough, but both are living beings with exactly the same physical and psychological needs.
Of the dogs being given away this holiday season, regardless of breed, more than 55% will be homeless within 6 months, another 20% will be abandoned within a year, and only 25% will remain integrated into their families.
You can’t gift a dog like a doll, a soccer ball, a piece of clothing, or something disposable… A dog doesn’t wear out or break easily; it has a life, quickly grows attached to us, sees us as protectors, playmates, even as parents… You can kick a ball around and leave it anywhere, stroke a doll, dress it up, comb its hair, and put it away. A puppy needs attention every hour of the day, like a baby you can’t leave alone to crawl around the house because it might pick up something and put it in its mouth…
Before buying a dog for yourself or as a gift for a family member or loved one, let’s carefully consider all the pros and cons, not just the immediate ones but also those in the future… What will happen in 3, 6, 9, 12… years? As far as the dog is concerned, it will want to spend 100% of its life with us, without a doubt. A dog will never want to leave home, be alone in a room, or go for a walk with friends, etc… By instinct, the animal will always seek closeness to its family… To conclude this writing, I pose the following reflection:
DO YOU REALLY HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO DEVOTE TO YOUR DOG…?