BENTONVILLE, Ark. — With Christmas quickly approaching, families are preparing gifts for loved ones. While giving pets as gifts can seem risky, shelter advocates support it when done responsibly.
Brianna Curry with Fayetteville Animal Services emphasized that pets can be a long-term commitment.
"When you take on a pet, especially a puppy or a kitten, you should be expecting to take it on for 10 to 15 years, if not longer," Curry said.
Curry adds that adopting shelter pets can seem daunting if families are unprepared to handle the behaviors of a pet in a new home. However, Linda DeBerry with Best Friend Animal Society encourages pets as gifts.
"This idea that there's a wave of returned pets after the holidays is not actually accurate," DeBerry said. "They get returned on and off all year. So Best Friends is all for it. Yes, let's give pets as gifts, but let's do it in an informed way."
Although DeBerry said a post-holiday surge in returns is a myth, she still encourages a "prepared surprise" for the household.
"You know for sure that this person is absolutely committed to having this pet [and] has always wanted this pet. So you know you're doing something that they really want, but also that you're preparing the household who's going to clean out the litter box, who's going to clean up the puppy poop, who's going to do the training and the feeding," DeBerry said.
If you choose to buy a puppy or kitten, Curry suggests you keep their vaccines and registrations updated. She also advises new owners to socialize the animal with family and friends to associate new people with good things.
DeBerry suggests that gift-givers adopt the pet from a local shelter. Best Friends is also approaching a big year with its No Kill 2025 goal.
"I adopted a dog from this shelter when I first started working here, and the first night I was like, 'What have I done?' And now, here we are, four years later, and he's a great dog," Curry said.
"You're adding something wonderful to your home, but you're also saving the life of an animal in need who just is looking for a home to be loved in," DeBerry said.
If you are looking to gift somebody a pet for the holidays but uncertain about what to get, DeBerry also suggests preparing a pet basket with toys and other accessories. In that basket, you could create a "gift certificate" for your loved one to pick out any pet, involving them in the process.
If a family comes to struggle with a pet, Curry asks that they contact the shelter, breeder, or pet store from which the pet came for advice.
"If you're adopting from a shelter, we like to say it takes three days to decompress, three weeks to start to learn your schedule, and three months to really feel at home," Curry said.
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