There are people who strongly believe that pets should not be adopted during the holiday season. They fear that these pets are intended as gifts and will not be adopted for the right reasons, only to be returned or neglected later on. I strongly disagree. I think the holidays are a great time to adopt a pet.
The belief that people will adopt a pet as a gift that is not wanted or appreciated has solid reasons behind it. Those reasons are the well-intentioned, but ill-thought-out decisions by those who get a pet for someone else. A pet is about as personal as you can get – it’s like choosing your friends. It’s no surprise, then, that many times when a pet is purchased as a gift for someone else, it doesn’t necessarily work out very well.
This is a case where it would indeed be best to give a gift certificate instead, allowing the recipient to choose the pet that would be the best fit for them. Alternatively, one can always accompany the person to pick out their pet, either before the holiday itself or afterward, and pay for it then.
Then there are children who want a pet. Kids are notorious for less-than-responsible behavior when it comes to the care of pets. And the novelty of a new pet wears off rather quickly. To successfully incorporate a dog, cat, or other kind of pet in your home requires that you, as the parent, take the responsibilities of that animal seriously – and convey the importance of this to your children. Irresponsible, haphazard parenting does not mix well with the needs of children…or pets.
If you are prepared, however, to bring a pet into your home (or add to your furry family), you acknowledge the reality that you will undoubtedly be performing most of the chores related to pet care and will ultimately be the one responsible for their well-being, AND you will be able to commit the time and effort to ensure the pet’s comfort and safety during the holiday – then choosing to bring a pet home at this time can be the most special gift you can give to your children.
One of my fondest Christmas memories was the year my father walked into the house with a little bump under his jacket. Just days before the holiday, he adopted a puppy from a nearby shelter as a special gift for my brothers and I. Freckles was our only childhood dog. We grew up with her, loved her, learned to share in the responsibilities of caring for her. My parents never regretted it, we never did, and I have no doubt Freckles never did either!
On the other hand, if you are not the parent, you should definitely not choose a pet for children. I’ll give you an example, albeit an extreme one. The brother of a woman I know decided to honor the wishes of her three children, and purchased three puppies – one for each of them – as Christmas gifts. Mom was less than thrilled, to put it mildly. Her children may have wished for puppies, but she did not. Those puppies ended up somewhere else. The kids were heartbroken, Mom was upset, and the puppies were shuffled around needlessly at a crucial time in their lives. ‘Nuff said.
Another argument that can be a valid one is that the holidays are busy, stressful times, with many activities away from the home. If you’re not going to be home often enough, available to see to your new pet’s needs, or have the time and forethought to ensure their safety in your home during this time – adopting now would not be a great idea. Then again, that is true at any time.
Although there are situations where adopting a pet during the holiday season would be irresponsible or ill-fated, I don’t believe these are the rule. These are cases where education would be of great help, or at least solid screening by the shelters and rescues. Most people looking to adopt, at any time of the year, do so with thought and care.
The truth is, pets are dying every day, simply because there are too many sitting in shelters. Why on earth would we tell people to wait a month to adopt? By doing that, we’re condemning thousands to euthanasia. Adoptions open up spaces for rescues to take in more; telling people not to adopt now means those groups cannot help that many more during this time.
It is defeatist, elitist, and I believe narrow-minded to assume that all people adopting at this time of year are not knowledgeable and responsible. To encourage everyone to choose gift certificates or to wait until after the holidays only compounds the pet population problems, it does nothing to solve them. Yet this belief is quite common among those in animal welfare.
Do we want pets to have forever homes? Do we want more people to experience the companionship and love a pet can bring to their lives? Or do we want to attach strings, complicate the adoption process, scare people away from adopting?
I say, given a stable home environment, a responsible attitude, and a sincere desire – adopt a pet for the holidays. Save two lives. Enrich your own beyond your imagination.
Peace Love and Paws
Adopt Don’t Shop
I agree that any day is the right day to adopt a pet. People just need to think it through. That’s the important part. Great post today. Thanks.
pawhugs Max
Good points, Kim. I admit I was of the knee-jerk wait until after the holidays opinion, but you’re right: Responsible adoptions can occur any time of the year, with the emphasis on responsible.
I’ll bet Freckles the puppy got socialized very quickly in your family! What a fun, sweet story.
I guess we think oppositely – I think more ill-fated adoptions happen during the holidays. Hence many dogs chained outside.
Adopting a pet is a terrific responsibility. Just make sure when you do it, it’s because you want a new family member, not just a cute gift.
I agree with you completely, Kim. You made some excellent points and I too have seen pet adoptions meant as gifts for someone else go terribly wrong. If you’re planning on adopting a pet for someone else, it should never be a surprise. And it should always be done with consent. As you say, that person needs to assume responsibility for the welfare and care of that pet.
That being said, I don’t see a need to discontinue adoptions during the holidays. Still, the holidays are a stressful time for many people and many households are hectic around the holidays. That can make things like house training and even adjusting to the new environment more difficult. Something to think about before you adopt, though maybe not a solid reason not to bring a new puppy or kitten (or adult dog or cat!) home. A bit of planning should help overcome those difficulties.
Getting a pet as a gift for someone else is like buying perfume or cologne when you don’t know what scent the person likes. You just don’t do it!!
Pets are a very personal decision and require a lot of planning before bringing one home. Excellent post!
A really thought out & well written post!
Nubbin wiggles,
Oskar
I work in animal rescue and I used to think the way you do. I don’t any longer. The problem with the idea you present is that a good shelter will make the adopters sign a contract to return the pet to their location if they no longer want the pet. Shelters are not saving or condemning any more pets because the mis-adoptions will be returns after the holidays. There’s no more or less room for additional lives saved. It all balances out, it just changes the timing of the saving. By putting off adoptions until after the holidays, care can be focused on the pets that need rescuing instead of with families that will return them. I think we can all agree that should be our priority.
Really well said. I got a dog as a gift for Christmas when I was a kid – however, we had been looking for months and doing research, and when we brought her home, it was after much planning. I also got her early – near Thanksgiving – and my mom joked she wasn’t really “mine” until Dec. 25.
I do think it’s a tricky situation though – many people probably don’t think it out when they adopt or give a pet as a gift. I hope some people see your post and spend some time really thinking about it before acting.
I want a guinea pig for Christmas in the worst way!!
I couldn’t agree with you more. When I moved to Philly we looked and looked for a pup, and finally found one in mid-December. We brought him home right before Christmas and took some vacation time so we had two full weeks to help him get settled before I had to go back to work. (Rod was working from home and had day-time puppy duties.) We bonded, we snuggled, it was a fantastic time to work on potty training. I wouldn’t have changed a thing.
Hi Y’all,
If someone has lost a pawed one, or a another kind of pet and is lonely the Holidays are a sad time. What could be more perfect than the gift of a new best friend?
Y’all come by now,
Hawk aka BrownDog