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When I saw “101 Dalmatians” for the first time as a kid, I loved it so much I just had to redecorate accordingly. I had two separate designs of “101 Dalmatians” bed sheets, a huge poster, a table lamp, and stuffed toys adorning my bed.
But the one thing I didn’t have was an actual Dalmatian dog. No matter how much I begged my parents for one, they didn’t give in. They didn’t want to take care of a dog, so they weren’t going to bend to my whim. Unfortunately, many other parents did, either to that of their children or to their own.
After the movie’s 1991 in-theater re-release hundreds of Dalmatians were adopted. Only a few months later, many found themselves homeless. Now, with this summer’s release of “Marmaduke,” Great Dane rescues are bracing themselves for something similar.
A couple of weeks ago I brought up pet fads when talking about teacup pigs. While pet fads may occasionally alert someone to a new sort of pet or breed they will truly enjoy, most of the time they produce ugly results, like those described above.
It’s OK to be inspired by a fad to look into a new pet. I didn’t even know potbellied pigs as small as teacup pigs existed until I saw them on an episode of “How I Met Your Mother.” Maybe one day I’ll own one, or maybe not. It all depends on whether or not I ultimately decide that sort of pet is a right fit for me.
The danger, as it often does, resides in impulsive decision-making. A certain kind of pet may look cute, but it’s like a novelty that wears off. Sure, your dog might always be cute, but not as much as when it was a puppy, and even its puppy eyes likely won’t be enough to make you “aww” at all the pee stains on the carpet.
Frequently the animals behind pet fads are high maintenance, as they are often purebred. Purebreds more frequently have health problems due to inbreeding. Hyperactivity can occur as a result of their condition as well.
Families impulsively purchasing pets due to a fad not only often end up with an animal requiring responsibilities they didn’t think through, they may also have to deal with that pet’s additional health problems and hyperactivity.
I’m not saying that all purebreds will automatically have these problems, but when not enough research is done into a pet before its adoption, then that pet will likely come with needs its owner didn’t expect and might not be able or willing to fulfill. I’m also not saying that getting a pet because it was a fad, or because you learned about it from a fad, is wrong.
I’m just wary of fads because they generally increase the number of impulsive pet adoptions, which almost always leads to a high number of pet returns. Returning a pet is not like returning a toy, and too often, pets bought due to fads are essentially viewed as cute furry toys.
If a fad makes you want to get a new pet, that’s fantastic (I’m all for loving and owning pets). Just make sure you do research, know what you’re getting into, and seriously decide to make a lifelong commitment to the pet, before you bring your new family member home.
Related Articles:
What to Consider When Getting a Dog
How to Decide What to Feed Your Pet
The Problem with Show Dog Science
*(This image by nessmoon is licensed under the morgueFile Free License.)