by Terese Shaw

Terese Shaw is an FBR Adoptions Coordinator for Fresno Bully Rescue. FBR shares their animal rescue adventures with us every other month. You can find more of their columns here and on KRL News & Reviews.

’Tis the season for family, celebrations, and finding the perfect Christmas morning gift to set under the tree. Sometimes that big surprise might include bringing home a new pet! Surprising the family with a puppy, wrapped in a big bow Christmas morning, watching the kids run down the stairs and scream with excitement sounds like those Hallmark movies we’ve all come to love – but the story doesn’t always end up as perfect as we imagine. If your three-year-old is pleading for a puppy, at this age they are not yet capable of the responsibility. The thought of a puppy or playing with a puppy does not mean they’d actually like one in the home. Will you be ready to enroll your new pup in training classes when it jumps up and knocks over the child, chews their toys, and sends the kids crying to you for comfort? Will your story end with the Christmas “Dumpathon” following the holidays when you realize it’s just too much?

The good news is that it doesn’t have to be this way! With proper planning, commitment, and forethought, bringing home a new pet as a gift to your family can be an incredibly rewarding and teachable experience. To help you decide if this is the right option for you and your family, we wanted to share a helpful check list.

1. Consider your children’s age? Different pets can prove more or less appropriate for different ages. From a pet hamster to a full-grown adult dog, sometimes starting out small can help your child learn responsibility, with your support behind them, helping them along the way.

2. Is your entire family committed? A living being isn’t something to take home, try out, and then decide to return if they don’t suit you. You’ve committed to care and love your new family member for the remainder of it’s life. Will you be ready when the kids go off to college or move out? It may seem a ways down the road, but it will happen. Will you have the time to love and care for your now adult pet that has only known you it’s entire life?

3. Are you educated about what caring for an animal entails? Don’t forget that an animal’s an animal. That means cleaning up potty accidents and vomit, nibbled-on furniture, and other typical animal behaviors. Do you have time for training classes, vet trips, and more? There will always be trials and tribulations, but if you put in the work from the start, the payoff is worth it in the long run!

Fresno Bully Rescue has an adoption process that includes getting to know our adopters, home checks, etc. We also do our very best to help place the right dog with the right family. If you are considering adoption this Holiday Season, please keep this in mind! We have bully-breed dogs of every shape, size, age, energy, and personality. Saving a life for Christmas can prove to be the best gift for both your family AND your new pet!

Lacey is one of the many deserving dogs that are ready to spend the holidays in a home. Adopted as a puppy, she was recently returned due to family hardship. Despite her situation, Lacey is such a wonderful dog that’s always ready with a smile and a kiss. You won’t see the petite cutie happier than when she is with children, she is AMAZING! If that isn’t enough, she’s house and crate trained, and is able to spend a few hours on her own. When it comes to other dogs, she does well, no kitties please.

She is in a foster home, so an application is required to meet her. You can find Lacey and all of our available dogs on our website www.fresnobullyrescue.org.

Check out more animal rescue stories in our Pet Perspective section here in KRL and on our sister website KRL News & Reviews. Advertise in KRL and 10% of your advertising fees can go to Fresno Bully Rescue.

We also have a brand a pets newsletter that is still a work in progress, but it will be letting our readers know about all of the pet and animal rescue related articles that went up that month/months so you never miss a thing. We also hope to provide some additional content and maybe even some pet related giveaways. You can use this box to subscribe!

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