Thinking about getting a pet for Christmas? Stop before you shop.

By CATHY BEER, Founder of Pets4Life 

Australians love their pets but when I adopted my doggies in 2008, I discovered there is a dark side to pet ownership in Australia. I was appalled to learn that around 60,000 cats and dogs are euthanised every year in NSW alone.

At this time of the year, I receive even more pleas for donations from animal shelters as they brace themselves for the holiday season.  Christmas is not a time of joy but a time of crisis for animal shelters around Australia who are inundated with surrendered and abandoned animals.  The animal surrender rate increases during the holiday season because people are going away and they don’t want to pay the boarding costs.

I wanted to do something about this, so I embarked on a journey to better understand why this is happening.  After three years of gathering information and conversations with animal welfare leaders, I created www.Pets4Life.com.au, a new community resource for pet owners and those who are thinking of adding a dog or cat to the family.  The purpose of Pets4Life is to help people to make good choices regarding pet ownership and enjoy a lifelong bond with their pet.

Pets4Life explains about animal surrender.  It is a complex social issue but put simply, a broken bond between owner and pet; and irresponsible breeding are the main causes.  Here are a just few reasons why the bond can break between owner and pet:

• Mismatch between owner’s lifestyle, energy level and the pet’s personality and energy level
• Ignorance about how to interact with the pet has led to a child bitten by the family dog
• Pet behavioural problems caused by – poor early socialization, lack of companionship and the pet’s inability to express its natural behaviours
• The everyday needs of a pet is too much for a busy young family
• Unrealististic expectation of the cost to look after a dog (around $25,000) and cat ($10,000) for its lifetime
• Change in the household circumstances such as moving, new baby, divorce and death
• Rental, strata and aged care accommodation restrictions on pets

Pets4Life has the questions you need to ask before you take on a pet, the questions to ask a breeder, and what to ask a shelter if you are adopting a dog or cat. This site covers what you need to do to give your pet a good life and how to keep your dog or cat happy.

3 steps to a happy life with your pet

If you are thinking of adding a furry friend to the family this Christmas, there are three steps to think about:

• Stop before you shop – think very carefully before you fall for that cute kitten or take the plunge into puppy love
• Shop wisely – make an informed decision
• Give your pet a good life for its entire lifetime

Cathy Beer is the Founder of Pets4Life.  Cathy is an animal lover and a professional marketing specialist. She left the corporate world after more than 20 years to pursue her passion for animal welfare.  Cathy is a voluntary member of three committees: Willoughby Council’s Companion Animals Committee, UWS Animal Ethics and the Foundation for the National Parks & Wildlife. Cathy and her husband, John, are besotted owners of two older doggies adopted from Doggie Rescue, Toby and Rosie.

Pets4Life is an online educational resource for pet owners and those who are thinking of adding a cat or dog to the family. The overall goal of Pets4Life is to reduce animal surrender. Pets4Life has comprehensive information including – the questions you need to ask yourself before you take on a pet, the questions to ask a breeder, and what to ask a shelter if you are adopting a dog or cat. This site covers what you need to do to give your pet a good life and how to keep your dog or cat happy. Pets4Life has a blog on the hot topics called the Bark ‘n’ Purr, and Who’s the Boss?, are light hearted interviews that uncovers who really is the boss between owner and pet.