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PetGiving.com Mission Statement

To educate people on the following topics:
  1. Why/why not give pets to friends/family as gifts.
  2. Provide information for people who insist on giving pets as gifts.
  3. Provide information for recipients of pets.

Giving pets to others (as gifts)

Awww, an old Norman Rockwell magazine cover -- a cute child opening the big gift-wrapped box to find a warm, wiggly puppy inside. Your heart is warm and you want to get a pet for someone special, don't you?

DON'T DO IT!!! Common sense says that certain gifts should never be given: Jenny Craig membership for your chubby loved ones, Accent Reduction CDs for your Professor, and live animals for friends or family members. Please read these links written by experts, before even considering getting and giving a pet to someone else.
Veterinarian Suggests Caution When Giving Pets As Gifts [cached] Texas A&M University, Gene Charleton says "Giving Pets As Gifts. It's an image right off an old Norman Rockwell magazine cover -- a cute child opening the big gift-wrapped box to find a warm, wiggly puppy inside. Experts in animal behavior suggest that the scene plays better in the magazine than in your living room."
http://www.dogscouts.com/ [cached] At Christmas time, and sometimes at other holidays, people often like to give gifts of puppies. This is a very bad idea...
Paw-Rescue.org [cached] Robin Tierney of Paw Rescue says: "Movies and TV have given people the idea that puppies and kittens make heartwarming holiday gifts for kids, spouses and other significant others... The decision to bring a [pet] into your family should be a family decision, not a surprise gift...."
HelpingAnimals.com [cached] Helping Animals says: "Why Animals Do Not Make Good Gifts: Animals are not toys. They are sentient beings who, like us, require love and proper care to flourish. Although people who give animals as gifts invariably have good intentions, it is unfair to give an animal to anyone unless you are absolutely certain that ..."
PetPeoplesPlace.com [mirror1] [cached1] [cached2] Karen Peak of Safe Kids/Safe Dogs says: "To be blunt, pets make the WORST presents. Pets should never be given as gifts . not to family members . not even to your children. The choice of a pet is personal. What I like in a pet the person who I would give a gift to may not..."
Yahoo Answers 1 [cached] I make it a point to not give a gift where the receiver will have to pay in the end like pets, cell phones, etc. I hear that there are lots of orphaned dogs after Christmas and lots of orphaned bunnies after Easter...
Yahoo Answers 2 [cached] It is a bad idea to get anyone a pet for their birthday!! First of all...even if the person is "talking" about getting a pet, that might be all it is -- just talking. They might be unsure or not serious.
Bad gift ideas [cached] Rule Seven: Never give live animals as gifts. At worst, the recipient won't like the animal at all and the poor thing will get abused, neglected, or at best, given to someone else.
Giving Pets as Gifts [pdf] [cached] Sherry Woodard of Best Friends Org says: "Give it a bit more thought. Animals given as presents often end up unwanted and discarded at the local shelter."

Approximately 1 million companion animals are turned over to animal shelters each year in California. Nearly 70 percent of those animals are ultimately euthanized.

Do not Give or as
[source: UC Davis Vet Medical School, Dr. Philip Kass]
 
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