FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM)- Getting a puppy or kitten for someone this holiday season, might seem like the perfect gift but it could be a bad fit, according to Madison Seyfried, with the Washington County Animal Shelter.
“We don’t want the animals to have to come back,” Seyfried said. “We want them out the door and we want them to be with their family forever.”
She said instead the shelter is offering a gift certificate. It’s $65 for a dog and $45 for cat. The person who receives the gift certificate can visit the shelter, meet their future pet and choose one that fits their lifestyle, she said.
“If they’re given out as gifts, a lot of times they don’t have that time to come here, meet them, interact with them and get to know the animal before they take it home,” Seyfried said. “So the likelihood of them being brought back to the shelter is huge.”
Seyfried said that it’s a different story if a parent wants to adopt a pet for their child during the holidays because they’re assuming responsibility for the pet.
