Christmas puppies available!!

[Rumpley]

Ha! Knew I'd get your attention with that one

Anyways,I thought you rescue types would like to hear something really interesting pertaining to my subject line. I subscibe to a national sheltering magazine, and they just did an article on whether shelter should adopt out animals during the Christmas week.

The article shows that from polled shelters, the return rate for Xmas adoptions was NO higher than regular adoptions during the rest of the year, as long as the screening was thorough!!!! You learn something new everyday, eh? Most shelters now are keeping their doors and policies open, business as usual.

Now, most proactive shelters are actually are supporting adoptions for Xmas, as one shelter director said "we used to close our doors that week and watch car after car pull out of our parking lot, and we knew they were heading straight to the mall to buy a dog instead."

A lot of shelters now are pitching "if you're going to get a pet, get it here!" and just do a really good job at the screening, and it has done wonders for their adoption rates.

[violet]

I don't think dogs should not be adopted during Christmastime..I just think people should avoid the knee jerk adoption. Just like grabbing a kitten out of a box at the front of a grocerys tore. no forethought.

[ammitnme]

God Rumpley...dont scare me like that!

[MIA]

I have never been keen on adoptions at Christmas, it's got to be the worst time to bring in a pup. There are always exceptions to rules. I did have a couple who weren't having any festivities etc and it just happened that the timing was on Christmas and I did adopt to them. Every year I get a ton of e-mails asking to adopt a dog as a present for the family. I remember a few years ago a lady asked me for a dog I had as a present for the kids, I said no, we had a very colorful argument via e-mail and in the end she bought a dog at a pet store for the kids, guess who had the dog not one month later?

I do feel if the shelters want to do Christmas adoptions and the whole family is involved and they are prepared to do what it takes to make the dog comfortable it might be ok, I still probably wouldn't do it.

I have a lady who is driving me nuts about adopting a dog for her Mom but I have told her a million times I won't adopt a dog to her to give to her mom and that I need to speak directly with her mom, she went as far as to sign up as a volunteer so she could easily get a pooch!!! LOL There's a reason I don't use foster homes I don't know personally!

[SKoth]

I support adoptions during the holidays if they showed interest prior. When I was young we did it and it was perfect. My mom, a teacher, was off for three weeks and so were we. We had plenty of time to dedicate to the puppy right away. I don't support any type of whim adoptions holidays or not.

[BabyReba]

The people who live around here must be freaks. No one wants to adopt a dog right now, but they all seem keen on giving their dogs up this time of year. :roll:

I won't do dogs as gifts or surprises, just not setting a good example for people that these are animals not material "things" to be passed on like consumer goods. But if a family wants to adopt around the holidays and they have prepared for it, would adopt whether it was a holiday season or not, and all that good stuff, I won't turn my nose up at them, that's for sure. I'd definitely be extra vigilant in checking them out though.

[violet]

The people who live around here must be freaks. No one wants to adopt a dog right now, but they all seem keen on giving their dogs up this time of year. :roll:

I won't do dogs as gifts or surprises, just not setting a good example for people that these are animals not material "things" to be passed on like consumer goods. But if a family wants to adopt around the holidays and they have prepared for it, would adopt whether it was a holiday season or not, and all that good stuff, I won't turn my nose up at them, that's for sure. I'd definitely be extra vigilant in checking them out though.

your freaks and my freaks are related

[DynaMomma]

you've made a great point!

[Rumpley]

It's all about the screening to me, regardless of the season.

Some people are good homes and happen to decide that December is a good time to get a dog (maybe they have time off, maybe they've been looking anyways) Geez, I adopted my new dog in December, because my soul dog passed away in November and I couldn't make it any longer living without a furry in my house. If they had a "no adoptions" policy around Xmas, I'd never have my cool new dog and this was a dog that was very much wanted and is cared for.

I have people right now looking at our dogs for adoption. I don't think the "Christmas factor" really plays in for us, because it takes quite a bit to even get a dog from us, so any impulsiveness doesn't really factor in.

However I did like this article, because it should make us realize as rescuers that as long as we screen well, we can adopt out rescues rather than being hardasses and force people to support the local puppy selling pet store. There are quality homes out there, who want a pet around Xmas time, and they're still a quality home when January rolls around too.

[raebo]

We adopted between Christmas and New Years. We'd gone away and done the family thing and we were back home with no festivities planned and a whole week off. So lots of time to integrate a new dog into the house. We would have been adopting anyway, so why not take advantage of the week off?