With Thanksgiving soon approaching, before we know it Christmas will soon be upon us also. A time when parents think of surprising their child(ren) on Christmas Day with that adorable new puppy or kitten. 

Adopting a pet for a child is a wonderful idea, especially if the pet is adopted from a reputable rescue facility instead of from a very expensive and selfish breeder, whose only interest is making a profit from the sale of the puppy or kitten. 

However, with so much activity and shopping going on around the Christmas season, adopting a pet then is not an advisable idea. My suggestion would be to wait until after Christmas is over when the family will have time to devote to their new pet family member. 

Adopting a pet needs to be forever – just like our children are. 

Diane L. Amburn

Waterford