The pet section in the newspaper fills a full page this time of year with litters of puppies for sale, and I'm seeing the all-too-familiar attention grabbers, "Ready for Christmas," "Perfect for Christmas," and the like. And just as happens every year, people will fall prey to the old puppy under the Christmas tree fable that still proliferates in holiday ads. They'll rush out to purchase the breed du jour before they've thoroughly researched the breed and determined whether they and their family and lifestyle are a good match for that particular breed of dog. They'll likely pay too much money for an ill-bred dog that may harbor inherited health or behavior problems due to careless breeding that will become too costly or troublesome because, of course, the commitment to that pet was only a seasonal whim intended to delight little Johnny or Janey when a stuffed toy dog from Santa would have sufficed. Stuffed toys don't chew, shed, or piddle and poop on the carpet. They don't need to be trained or walked or fed or taken to the vet. By this time next year, a large percentage of this year's holiday surprises that have long outgrown their puppy cuteness will have found their way to shelters and rescue groups. They have no clue why their families have abandoned them this way. Their hearts and spirits are broken. They tried so hard to please. If those surrendered dogs are very, very lucky, they may be rehomed for Christmas with people who will keep them safe and healthy and love them forever. More frequently, the ending to the fable isn't nearly as pretty as the bow on the box that barked under the tree last Christmas morning.

PLEASE REMEMBER: A DOG IS NOT JUST FOR CHRISTMAS-- IT'S FOR LIFE!
A DOG IS WAITING AT YOUR LOCAL SHELTER. RESCUE ONE UNTIL THERE ARE NONE.