@Rawr: I actually thought of it last week, but I’d already commented, and the discussion was going in a different direction–so I took a chance, and waited for this week. ^^
@Kessy: I’m just playing on the whole *SPCA theme going on. In Ireland’s ISPCA and the UK’s RSPCA often run adverts around Christmas time to encourage people to understand that gifting animals as Xmas presents also involves a life-time commitment; thus the tag-line “They are not just for Christmas…they’re for life!”
I’m not sure how this is in the States, but in Ireland & the UK we’ve had problems of some people simply abandoning puppies and kittens after Christmas once the novelty had worn off. Years ago at home in Ireland we used to breed puppies, and we actually went to great lengths to try and schedule puppy births away from the holiday period. We simply didn’t want our puppies to be available for use as Xmas presents, and only homed puppies with families/individuals who seemed to understand the challenge that was involved in caring for a dog.
One family once asked “Does he bark?”….They didn’t get a puppy 😛
Oops, sorry, I should have indicated I was joking. I get it, though we don’t have the same ads in the US. Here the big push is to tell people not to buy from breeders but adopt from shelters. Irresponsible pet owners here seem to have a thing for exotics, though. Florida is being over-run by Burmese pythons that people thought were cute as hatchlings, then discovered that they grow to be like four or five meters long, so they dump them in the Everglades. Or then there was the case of the guy who kept a full grown tiger in his apartment in the projects in NYC…
So does that mean they’re going to have to get Aine a collar and tags? 0:-)
@Kessy: Don’t worry Kessy! I knew you were kidding 🙂 I just had an urge to rant a little (one of my many failings).
A collar and tags for Aine? Well…given that Aoife will probably want to have a hand in helping Aine select her clothing, you never know what she has in mind.
Using her name without telling her what they are talking about must make her anxious–not a good move. ><
Um, does Aine know about magical things like forks and spoons?
Sorry Ashling, there’s no *SPCÁ to foist her off upon.
*Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Áines 😛
@Delta: Funny you should mention utensils. The next page covers this 😀
@Azreal: Because as we all know, Áines are not just for Christmas…they’re for life! 😀
@Rawr: Christmas? but it’s the middle of summer (both in story and irl)
@Rawr: I actually thought of it last week, but I’d already commented, and the discussion was going in a different direction–so I took a chance, and waited for this week. ^^
@Kessy: I’m just playing on the whole *SPCA theme going on. In Ireland’s ISPCA and the UK’s RSPCA often run adverts around Christmas time to encourage people to understand that gifting animals as Xmas presents also involves a life-time commitment; thus the tag-line “They are not just for Christmas…they’re for life!”
I’m not sure how this is in the States, but in Ireland & the UK we’ve had problems of some people simply abandoning puppies and kittens after Christmas once the novelty had worn off. Years ago at home in Ireland we used to breed puppies, and we actually went to great lengths to try and schedule puppy births away from the holiday period. We simply didn’t want our puppies to be available for use as Xmas presents, and only homed puppies with families/individuals who seemed to understand the challenge that was involved in caring for a dog.
One family once asked “Does he bark?”….They didn’t get a puppy 😛
Oops, sorry, I should have indicated I was joking. I get it, though we don’t have the same ads in the US. Here the big push is to tell people not to buy from breeders but adopt from shelters. Irresponsible pet owners here seem to have a thing for exotics, though. Florida is being over-run by Burmese pythons that people thought were cute as hatchlings, then discovered that they grow to be like four or five meters long, so they dump them in the Everglades. Or then there was the case of the guy who kept a full grown tiger in his apartment in the projects in NYC…
So does that mean they’re going to have to get Aine a collar and tags? 0:-)
@Kessy: Don’t worry Kessy! I knew you were kidding 🙂 I just had an urge to rant a little (one of my many failings).
A collar and tags for Aine? Well…given that Aoife will probably want to have a hand in helping Aine select her clothing, you never know what she has in mind.