Giving to Pets

It’s Christmastime-my favorite season! Holiday cheer is around every corner, and a giving spirit is washed over everyone. While shoppers are searching for the perfect gift for their friends and families, don’t forget your furry friend! Pets deserve a portion of our giving spirit too! Here are some “bone”-a fide ideas to treat your pet this holiday season!

• Donate! The best way to show pets your love is to give back to their friends that don’t have homes. Check out HSUS.org, ASPCA.org, or your favorite animal charity and make a donation! Monetary donations are always great, but shelters need other items too! Donating blankets, cleaning supplies, or food will help your local shelter care for the millions of homeless pets that enter shelters every year.

My dog and Jurnee’s Journey mascot, Chi-Chi, is ready for Christmas as “Santa Chi”!

• Clothes! Pets have fur but the chilly weather can be toilsome. A red and green dress or sweater is a fashionable touch for the holiday! Check out the pet clothing aisle at Wal Mart or PetSmart for all kinds of cute clothing items that will keep your pet warm.
• A new collar! Pets are always looking for adventure and can sometimes get lost from their home. A new, brightly colored collar is not only fashion forward, but can help save your pet from going to the pound. TIP: For smaller dogs and all sized cats, a collar with a bell is very helpful for easy tracking around the house.

• Adopt! Every DAY in America 20,000 animals are euthanized because shelters do not have the space to hold them. Animal shelters are becoming more and more crowded and have worse conditions in the cold winter months. Save an animal from being another statistic and adopt from your shelter today! TIP: Pet stores get most or all of their inventory from puppy mills. Please, don’t shop-adopt!!

We are given so much every day and celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, the greatest gift of all, reminds me of how fortunate I am. Puppies and kittens aren’t as fortunate as we humans are. Please, spread some cheer this holiday season and show pets everywhere how grateful we are for them. It’s our responsibility to take care of the animals. No matter what you give, a pet will always return that back ten times over in love.

Jurnee Carr