This Companion Animal Care directory is presented to help people seeking reliable resources, tips, and information for companion animals.
Sharon Stone, In Defense of Animals
(IDA)
January 2017
Bartlett is the first of many puppies and kittens who will be given up in the next few months when the “new” wears off. Please help us spread the word that puppies and kittens are living, breathing beings who need and deserve love and attention. They are not gifts.
Bartlett
It happens every year. Those cute puppies (and other animal companions
such as kittens and rabbits) given as Christmas gifts start flooding into
shelters and rescue groups early in January and that continues for several
months each and every year. Puppies and kittens are living, breathing beings
who need love and care. They cry because most of the time they have never
been away from their mother and siblings. Often, after a couple of days or
weeks, disinterested children or their parents tire of the constant crying
and of having to clean up the mess the animals make since these babies are
not housetrained. Housetraining takes time and patience which is not cared
about or understood when the puppy brought home.
These absolutely helpless babies are then unceremoniously dumped by the same
people that fawned over them for a day or two until the reality set in and
they realized that some baby animals, but especially puppies, take a lot of
time and work.
Many of those puppies will be killed because already full shelters simply
cannot house the influx of all these helpless babies. “Free to a good home”
ads fill the pages of social media and other resale sites, and fall victim
to dog fighting rings, animal experiments, and other fates too awful to
comprehend.
Such was the case with Bartlett. A thoughtless couple purchased him from a
backyard breeder, then realized that they just did not have the time that a
small puppy needed. While both of them worked long hours, Bartlett, just
five weeks old, was left alone in a crate. When they arrived home from work,
they were met with the sounds of a crying puppy, but they were tired and had
other household responsibilities. After a few minutes of play, Bartlett was
back in the crate. Lonesome and afraid, he cried in the crate all night,
every night, and every day as well.
The young ignorant couple simply were not equipped to deal with any real
additional responsibility, so luckily for Bartlett, they reached out for
help. They, like everyone else who dumps their animals, said they wanted to
be sure he went to a good home, and they got exceptionally lucky that we at
In Defense of Animals Hope Animal Sanctuary could take Bartlett in.
This couple finally did the right thing. They were not willing to give the
pup away to just anyone who wanted him, nor would they surrender him to a
shelter. Most “Christmas” puppies and kittens are not so lucky. Bartlett
will be fully vaccinated and when he is old enough he will be adopted to
carefully screened guardians who will love him forever.
Bartlett is the first of many puppies and kittens who will be given up in
the next few months when the “new” wears off. Please help us spread the word
that puppies and kittens are living, breathing beings who need and deserve
love and attention. They are not gifts.
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