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Prompted By A Recent Trip To An Overflowing Animal Shelter,
And By Yet Another Abandoned Puppy That I Recently Took In


They are not furry Christmas toys
These newborn kittens and puppies
Yet, so many adults treat them as such
They even gift wrap them, under the tree

A young girl or boy eagerly unwraps them
Then soon puts them aside, for a video game
And these days, the results are very often tragic
Pets end up being abandoned, after only a few days

I watch with sadness as parents purchase pets from pet stores
Then I soon sadly watch kids, mistreating their Holiday ‘toys’
Which are living breathing creatures, with the very same needs
As these human beings who receive them – young girls and boys

The young children very often quickly tire of their new ‘toys’
And their parents quickly tire of the new pet’s new responsibility
So the cute little puppy or adorable little kitten, is soon neglected
And tossed out like used Holiday wrapping paper, they soon will be

And even worse, are the After Christmas Stories that 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 lovable 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 do not buy a life, gift wrap it, and then just shove it under your tree

©December 2013, Mr. Ed