Prompted By A Recent Trip To An Overflowing Animal Shelter,
And By Another Starving Thrown-Away Dog I Recently Found
“Believe that all life has worth,
And your belief will help create the fact.”
William James
They are not new Christmas toys
These newborn, kittens and puppies
Yet, so many adults treat them as such
And, they gift wrap them, under the tree
A young boy or girl very eagerly unwraps them
Then soon puts them aside for a computer game
And these days, the results are often very tragic
Many pets end up at a shelter, in only a few days
I watch with sadness, as the parents rush into mall pet stores
Then, I watch videos of kids, mistreating their Holiday ‘toys’
Which are living breathing creatures, with the very same needs
As the human beings who receive them – young girls and boys
But the young children often very quickly tire of their new ‘toys’
And their parents don’t want to take on any added responsibility
So, the cute little puppy or adorable little kitten is soon neglected
In cramped cages at the animal shelters, very quickly, they will be
And even worse, are the After Christmas Stories I routinely hear
From children who have received a puppy or a kitten, for Christmas
“Mommy and Daddy said that Buddy went to live with another family.”
When in reality, their new ‘toy’ was dumped somewhere and dismissed
If your family really wants a brand new family pet, this Holiday Season
Please take your children to a shelter and teach them about responsibility
Show them that animals need love and nurturing and care, just as they do
Please don’t buy a life, gift wrap it, and then just shove it under your tree
“Believe that all life has worth,
And your belief will help create the fact.”
©Christmas 2011, Mr. Ed
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