Welcome to the This ‘N That Thursday blog hop!

It’s a little of this and a little of that and everything in between…

Co-hosted by 2 Brown Dawgs and  Ruckus the Eskie

More Snow Fun

Thunder
Snow Face Thunder

Thunder isn’t the only one who knows how to have fun in the snow.

Storm likes to play fetch with snow balls too.

Throw It! Throw It!
Storm Says:  Throw It! Throw It!
Snow Ball
Snow Ball Fetch

Yep she picked the snowball up in her mouth and tried to retrieve it.  Or maybe she just wanted a snack!

Snow Snow Snow

Believe it or not, we are supposed to get rain over the weekend so all of our snow may soon be history.  Up at the cabin we will not be as lucky and as you can see, it is beginning to pile up.

Here are a couple of pictures with the dogs and the snow piles.

Storm
Storm
Freighter
Freighter

Based on some reviews I read from other bloggers, I have been playing around with Fotor Photo Editor.  It is available as an online editor, but also has a downloadable version.  I downloaded it so I can edit photos even when I don’t have access to the internet.  I edited all of the pictures on today’s post using Fotor and made yesterday’s collage using it.

Gifting A Pet For Christmas

It has long been conventional wisdom that pets given as Christmas gifts end up in shelters once the novelty has worn off.  As is so often the case with conventional wisdom, that may not be true and the fears have been overstated.

Recently the ASPCA (American Society For The Prevention Of Cruelty To Animals) conducted a telephone survey and found out that pets acquired as Christmas presents were no more likely to end up in a shelter than pets acquired in another manner.  As a result, they are no longer recommending against giving pets as presents.

Not all shelters agree with the ASPCA’s change in recommendation, while other shelters have embraced the idea.  They will even deliver the pet presents on Christmas Day, (for a fee of course).

You can read more about it here.

So what do you think?  I know I have readers who are involved with rescue and readers who are involved with breeding.  I would be interested to hear your thoughts on giving pets as Christmas presents and whether you would place a pet in that situation.

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21 thoughts on “This ‘N That Thursday”

  1. I always thought that was a great idea giving a pet as a christmas present to someone, but before we have to make sure that someone will take care of the pet

  2. We would never dream of a pet for Christmas unless we had been planning it for a long time. If that was the case we have no problem but we do not agree with getting pets on a whim. Have a tremendous Thursday.
    Best wishes Molly

  3. Hi Y’all!

    Oh what fun to get a home for Christmas if you didn’t already have one!

    However, the family should decide together and make sure everyone is on the same page. If grandma wants to give a puppy, she needs to be sure the mom of the house is agreeable to caring for said puppy.

    Plus, you don’t want to get a puppy if you’re going to be traveling. Course, being a dog, I don’t know about kitties, but I’d think the same would apply.

    My Humans got their first Chessie because she was a Christmas present and got too big and rambunctious for the children in the family…my Human says Candy, that Chessie, sorely missed her children and that is a subject maybe I’ll write about one day.

    Bottom line…it is a life you are giving and a lot of hearts to be broken if the choice is a wrong one.

    Y’all come by now,
    Hawk aka BrownDog

  4. Oh I just LOVE pictures of dogs playing in the snow (especially snowy faces)! These are such fun photos. Enjoy the snow while it lasts!

  5. Great photos – will have to check out Fotor. Pet as a gift? Not a good idea. I think the decision to bring a pet into the home needs to be a well-planned and prepared for decision. I got a rabbit from a friend one year for Easter when I was in high school – have NO idea why, it’s not like I was a rabbit fan. It was terrible – my dad had to build a cage for it and after about two weeks, I was over the novelty and spent another 2-3 weeks looking for a good home. I felt terrible giving it away, but I didn’t really want it! You can never know what’s in another’s heart, so unless it’s a gift for YOURSELF – don’t do it.

  6. I love the snow photos!! And we are expected to have 60 degree weather this weekend, so our snow will be gone too!

    Fotor….I love it for certain things and PicMonkey for others, it depends on what I am doing. I did not know it was a downloadable product though, I’ll have to check that out.

    As for the puppy for Christmas….my thoughts are if a family is already planning for a puppy (or a shelter/rescue pup) and it happens to coincide with Christmas that’s wonderful. I personally worked with a man who bought his three year old son a Weimaraner puppy for Christmas, they thought it would be a cute gift. Of course the three year old didn’t train the dog and neither did they. The wife kept it crated all day long because it drooled. Finally after two or three years they rehomed the dog, by that time they had broken their son’s heart as well as their dogs and taught their son a lesson about the disposability of animals. (I think I just made up a word.) 🙂 Again, I’m not opposed to it, I just think as long as the entire family understands what a commitment it is and is willing to put the time in, I’m good.

  7. Great snow fun, I happened to have a litter on Christmas which was different than Christmas puppies since they didn’t go home til the end of Feb. I am on the fence, I agree that the timing as to be right and can’t be a rushed decision. Thanks for the hop!

  8. I don’t believe in giving pets for Christmas because pets are a commitment, not an impulse. I hate those pet shops in the mall that have puppies of dubious heritage “on sale” for what a show quality one would be from a good breeder.

    For me, Christmas is such a busy time that I can’t imagine having the time to devote to training a new family member. BUT some breeders have Christmas litters because their girls come in season in September or October. If I was slated to buy from that breeder, we’d wrap dog toys and maybe a new crate to put under the tree, but we’d get the puppy after things had settled down some.

    I love Freighter’s game face. He is letting you know that he is doing you a GIANT favor by sitting there because there is something else he needs to be doing!

  10. I just love the snow pictures! I could get behind the gifting of a pet for Christmas if it wasn’t a surprise gift. I’d want the recipient to know about the dog and even have a say in picking out the dog.

  12. Great snow pictures!
    I read that ASPCA study – very interesting! And the results speak for themselves. I think the biggest concern is the impulse, which can happen any time of year. If it’s well thought out, they’ve been planning getting a puppy for a long time, and they surprise the kids at Christmas, there’s really nothing wrong with that. And all the time off work and school can be a good opportunity to introduce a new pet.
    You always hear the stats that there’s a surge of surrenders to shelters 6 months after a holiday, when pets are big but still puppies and there are training issues. I’d like to see updated research on this, and information on how those people decided to get a pet.

  13. We feel that once winter arrives it should stay, once rain comes into the mix it just makes a mess and ruins all the fun! We also don’t think a pet should be a holiday gift. If it is an adult receiving the pet that really wants a specific pet it may be okay, but alone all the hustle and bustle of the holidays are hard on any pet let alone a young or new pet. Wait until things settle down in the new year.

  14. I love the snow faces and am so wishing we’d get some snow. It turns out it might snow when we are gone for the holiday. 🙁

    I agree pets for Christmas is not as bad as it has been made out to be. But I still think letting someone else pick out their own pet, or a family picking out a pet together is a better idea. But then again, Sephi was a gift. I came home one day and there she was. It was a wonderful surprise and I loved her so much for the 10 1/2 years I had her.

  15. So much snow! Seems like everyone is having snow, but it’s sunny here =)
    Bleh! We disagree with giving a puppy or animal as a Christmas present unless the person is really ready to commit to that animal. So sad when the animals are given up or given away because they weren’t ready 🙁

  16. I’m so jealous of all your snow. I got a glimpse of what winter really looks like while up north and I LOVE IT. Seriously.

  18. As a general reply I would thing getting a dog around or for Christmas would be bad for the puppy. They are you and frightened and you have decorations and visitors, or visit. A dog or puppy needs me time to learn, bond, pottie train, I think it’s a time when puppy should get all your attention. At Christmas that is impossible. Having said that I have gotten a puppy at Christmas and was with me all the time and turned out great:-)

  19. I just love the first photo of Thunder! It’s FAB!

    There are some things you never buy someone for Xmas…. Perfume, Art and PUPPIES! Never. Ever.

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