Three years ago, my husband got me the best gift ever: my black Lab, Django. It was just before Christmas and we had been talking about getting a dog for a long time. For at least 6-8 months before that day, I had longed for a big sloppy dog to call my own. We already had Hayley, our Chihuahua mix, but she was much more my daughter’s dog and I was pining for a big dog like I always had growing up.
So one Saturday right before Thanksgiving, we headed out to North Shore Animal League on Long Island, NY. After a hour or so of holding sweet, gorgeous puppies, I turned my head to see a new crop of pups being brought in and I locked eyes with Django. It was truly love at first sight. Hands down, Django is the best gift that I have ever received. In fact, I told my husband that he never needed to get me another gift because she was enough to last for years.
Just a few weeks ago, he jokingly said that he was just going to put a big bow on Django this year because he didn’t know what to get for me. I said he definitely could because three years later, she still remains a precious gift in my life. Please keep in mind that this was not a decision that we took lightly. We discussed bringing a new dog into our family. We were all ready to collectively pitch in to welcome a pet into our family. We were all in agreement and it was not spur of the moment at all.
A puppy or a dog is a lifelong commitment. It is not fair to spring a dog on someone as a gift unless you are absolutely sure that the person is ready, willing, and able to care for that pup for his/her entire life. And then after you have considered all the ramifications, please adopt! Puppies are not toys and dogs from pet stores come from puppy mills where pups are tortured and sold, solely for profit. There are countless shelters and agencies that hold adoption events regularly, so please check them out.
Giving a puppy or a kitty is a beautiful gift, especially from a parent to a child on Christmas. Many of us remember the day when our treasured childhood pets came to live in our homes. So once you make the decision, have fun with the delivery because it is a truly special time.
Check out these 15 cute pets wrapped up as Christmas gifts! See what they think about being the best presents under the tree!