Dear Editor, Amidst the expense and excitement of the holidays, taking on the responsibility of caring for an animal can be overwhelming for families. For animals, being given as “gifts” or bought on a whim can be disastrous.
Research shows that the average animal guardian spends about $4,800 per year caring for their cats and dogs, not accounting for unforeseen expenses such as emergency veterinary care, which can quickly total thousands of dollars. Holiday chaos, including visitors and travel, complicates an animal’s adjustment to a new home and challenges guardians in providing necessary attention.
After the excitement wears off and reality sets in, many animals given as gifts or impulsively obtained end up caged all day or neglected and left outdoors 24/7. Or they’ll join the countless others who end up in shelters or abandoned on roadsides to freeze or starve to death.
Please, never give a living, feeling being to anyone as a “gift.” If you’re emotionally and financially able to care for an animal family member for a lifetime, make their introduction to your home a happy and successful one by visiting your local shelter to adopt—after the hectic holidays.
Sincerely, Melissa Rae Sanger, LVT The PETA Foundation
Treatment for the Holidays
Dear editor, As we enter into the holiday season, we see many addicts who wish to wait until after the holidays to seek treatment. They would like to spend time with their families and avoid missing yet another holiday. But what happens in most cases is they use more to get away from the harsh reality of their life that confronts them.
They think there is no way out of the stresses of life and no way out of their addiction. The next thing they know, these anxieties push them to keep using, which could ultimately lead to an overdose and/or death. The realization that you must prioritize your needs over your wants is the most difficult aspect of entering rehab.
I never wanted to become an addict when I was younger. Having a family and becoming an electrician were my goals. I got lost somewhere on that road. One pill turned into many, which turned into an endless amount, and I had no idea how to deal with my problems. One of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make in my life was to go to rehab, but it was ultimately the best one. Who knows where I could've ended up if I had put it off.
Parents will always look at us as their little children. Yet when we are deeply engrossed in our addiction, neither our parents nor relatives can identify us. But they would rather not watch us battle anything, much less an addiction that could drive us away.
Yes, of course, It will hurt to miss one holiday, but going to treatment is focusing on the bigger picture. For it would be far worse to miss every holiday for the rest of their lives.
For more information, visit: The Dangerous Waiting Game (narcononnewliferetreat. org) Matthew Goodson