News editor Lesli Marchese warns against buying pets as gifts for family and friends.
Lesli Marchese, Campus Carrier news editor
I and many other people love buying gifts for loved ones. Come the holiday season, a lot of families opt to give the gift of a pet, often to their children. And what could be better than a cuddly, fuzzy puppy or sweet, tiny kitten as a gift?
According to several shelters and animal advocacy organizations – a lot.
Every year, within four to six months of the holidays, over half of the pets given as holiday gifts are abandoned or returned, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
When people, especially children, receive a pet as a gift, that’s often what they will continue to view it as. Children frequently interpret pets the same way they would any other toy they would receive – one that can be pulled, tugged and forgotten when the novelty wears off.
This leaves parents with the hard choice of keeping the animal or getting rid of it.
Any time a new animal is introduced into your household, there are factors you should consider: are you ready for the responsibility? Is your house prepared for the type of pet you are adopting and will it still be prepared for the pet at all of its growth stages?
If you cannot answer a definitive “yes” to all of these questions, then you should spend more time preparing for your future companion.
This is why many good breeders often won’t allow people to take home a pet for a holiday gift, because the pet will be entering into a household that is not fully prepared for it.
A pet should be introduced to a household when activity is relatively low, so you and any other members of your household can begin working the animal into your daily routines, according to the Topeka Capital-Journal of Dec. 12, 2014.
This helps to socialize your pet, encourage good behavior and increases the likelihood that this will be a forever home.
More abandoned animals leads to more overloaded shelters. Most are unequipped to handle a large number of pets, which results in pets being taken to pounds, or being euthanized.
Consider adopting from a shelter at a different time. This reduces the number of homeless animals, and it provides an animal that may otherwise be put to death with a loving home and family. It also can save you a great deal of money, as adoption fees are significantly less than buying an animal from a pet store or breeder. Some great places to look are your local Humane Society, the pound and shelters.
If you are still intent on buying a pet as a gift, consider instead buying a leash, collar or other item that denotes the type of pet you wish to surprise your loved one with. This will open up discussion about the ideaof getting a pet, and then allows the chance for all future caregivers to the animal a chance to be a part of process.
This holiday season, don’t be an irresponsible pet owner. Remember that owning a pet is a huge responsibility and should be planned for accordingly, and you should give your future friend the best possible beginning in its forever home by not bringing it home during the holidays.