2 min read (Articles narrated by Mabel)
I’ve recently seen a lot of stories about people naming puppies in someone’s honor or getting a new dog to honor someone else. On the surface, these stories seem heartwarming. However, if you actually read into them, you’ll see that a lot of these people are buying puppies instead of adopting.
Saving a Dog vs. Buying a Dog
If someone has passed away or done something incredible for you, it only makes sense that you’d want to use a grand gesture to honor them. However, is buying a puppy from a pet store or breeder really the way to do that?
Honoring someone you love is supposed to be a kind gesture. Oftentimes, the best way to honor someone is to do something kind for someone else. So, adopting a dog would be a great way to do it because you’d be saving a dog’s life. Buying a puppy is not the same though.
If you buy a puppy to honor someone, all you’re doing is encouraging people to bring more dogs into this world. So, how is that an honor when lots of other dogs are dying in shelters? I understand that puppies are adorable, but puppies can come from shelters too.
So, the best way to honor a loved one is to make a difference in this world. If you think naming a dog after them is the best way to do it, then please save a dog’s life. The more dogs that are adopted, the more dogs that can be saved.
Making Sure You’re Ready
Another important part of getting a new dog is making sure you’re ready for them. A lot of humans will get an impulse to buy a new puppy just because they’re cute, but they will have nothing prepared for the puppy ahead of time. Getting a puppy is a big decision that should not be taken lightly.
Therefore, it’s also not an honor if you name a puppy after someone even though you’re not ready to have a puppy. Dogs take a lot of time, patience, and money, which is something that a lot of people don’t have. Plus, if you choose a puppy over an adult dog, that puppy will need almost constant attention.
My point is that you should never rush into getting a dog, even if that dog is a rescue. Dogs want forever families, not just families that get rid of them when the going gets tough. So, make sure you’re willing to keep that dog for the rest of their life before you bring them home.
If you have someone special in your life that you want to name a dog after, make sure it’s done reasonably. Dogs are a part of the family, so make sure you treat us with lots of love and respect.
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Mabel the Rescue Dog 