Holidays not a happy time for unwanted pets

To prepare for the holiday season, dogs and cats are bred indiscriminately by unscrupulous, irresponsible breeders, and pet shops that sell puppies and kittens are stocking up on such “inventory” to also cash in on the sale of animals as gifts. Meanwhile, millions of unwanted pets languish on the death rows of animal shelters across the country.

Animal shelters and rescue groups dread the holidays, which is when intakes are at their peak as many people get rid of older, less desirable pets and buy young puppies and kittens as holiday presents.

By Valentine’s Day, many of the puppies and kittens bought as holiday gifts are themselves relinquished to animal shelters and rescue groups for several of the reasons attributed to bad breeding or breeding for profit: chronic medical conditions, bad temperaments, shedding hair that doesn’t match the furniture, not easily trained in a few weeks.

Knowledgeable animal lovers adopt homeless pets or purchase only from responsible breeders, usually those who show their animals and improve their breed pursuant to strict guidelines promulgated by their breed’s kennel clubs which include restrictions against selling puppies and kittens wholesale or to retail pet shops.

While the Agoura Shelter has a high adoption rate, it is not a no-kill shelter. When it gets full, healthy, adoptable pets are euthanized.

Make a homeless pet a family member this holiday season and adopt from the Agoura Animal Shelter, or any other shelter or private rescue organization. Rebecca Arvizu Agoura Hills