Once again, I beg you NOT to buy anyone a pet for the holidays. The best way to avoid impulse buying is to stay away from pet shops. I still have not learned what happens to the dogs and cats and other creatures in pet shops who are not sold. They do not go to animal shelters — that's for sure. Why doesn't anyone ever ask the question of what happens to them?

If you do want to give someone a pet, with their permission, wait until January 2. The excitement of this time of year is way too hard on a pet going to a new home. They can be lost or stepped on and will not start out with good habits. The shelters report that January and February are the times of year when most pets are turned in. A pet is given for a present and by that time people find out they can't handle the dog or cat or didn't really want him. The other time when pets are turned into shelters a lot is at the very end of December. Cowardly people, who cannot have an elderly pet put to sleep, sometimes give them to shelters. That is so wrong. Animals will stick by you through thick and thin and you can't at least do the right thing and be there at end of life! No matter how kind and untiring the shelter personnel are, they are not you.

I am still hoping that some day this country will ban puppy mills, the interstate shipment of live animals, and strictly limit the breeding of dogs and cats until the shelters are empty. You know I miss the old dairy farms with fields full of lovely cows and calves, but I would gladly forego that bucolic pleasure to know that fewer cows are suffering the way they did. By that I mean when their male calves are taken away and turned into veal dinners. How awful! If you have to be born on a dairy farm, it is better to be a female. Anyway, I would gladly give up the latest dog fad if it means fewer pets end up in shelters.

So to save yourself and a new pet extra stress, please wait until after New Years to bring a new member into the home. Then have the wonderful experience of saving someone's life by going to one our wonderful area shelters. And don't forget older pets are the best! If a person can't find a lovely pet in one of these shelters, you don't really deserve an animal companion.

Humane Society of Middletown, Middletown, 845-361-1861, luvyrpets2@gmail.com.

Humane Society of Walden,Walden, 845-778-5115.

Pets Alive, Middletown, 845-386-9738, adoptions@petsalive.com

Project Cat, Accord, 845-687-4983.

Rondout Valley Animals for Adoption, Accord, 845-687-7619, info@suesternberg.com

Sullivan County SPCA, Rock Hill, NY, 845-796-3120, sullivancountyspca@hvc.rr.com

Town of Rochester Pound, Accord 12404, doggonejill@aol.com

Ulster County SPCA, Kingston, 845-331-5377.

Petfinder.com is a good online resource for viewing pets from any of our local shelters.