Animals not always the best pets

Many Iowa parents are considering adopting animals this week as Christmas gifts for their kids. It’s not a decision they should rush into, according to Tom Colvin, director of the Animal Rescue League of Iowa.Colvin says some people have come into the Des Moines animal shelter with kids as young as a year-and-a-half saying this’ll be my child’s pet. He says people have to be realistic about the responsibilities they can put on their sons and daughters. Colvin says kids may be mature enough by age seven for a dog or cat. Colvin says adopting a pet is a lifetime commitment — the pet’s lifetime. It’s not cheap either.He says 25 to 30-percent of the dogs that come into the Animal Rescue League of Iowa are purebreds.