Thinking of gifting someone with a pet? Wait until after holidays, experts say
Anyone planning to give a pet as a gift this holiday season might want to rethink those plans.
“Don’t do it,” said Laura Winnie, an educator at DuPage County Animal Services. “The main reason is whether you’re attempting to give a pet to a child or an adult, being a pet guardian is a super personal relationship.”
Most pet adoption organizations require everyone from the family to meet with the pet before it is rehoused, experts said. Surprising someone on Christmas Day with a new pet may not turn out the way the giver intended.
“We do have some returns after the holidays,” said Lori Bartoli, an adoption counselor at Second City Canine Rescue in Palatine.
Other experts note the holidays create a different pace for most households. Everyone is off work or out of school, so the pet has plenty of company. But after a few days, everyone heads back to their regular routine and the pet is left alone.
That change can stress animals out and cause them to behave poorly or become depressed, they said.
“It really needs to be well thought out and researched and the animal has to be good for the entire family,” said Lisa Krinninger, executive director at Libertyville’s Our House of Hope Rescue. “I just think that we need to separate our head from our heart and make more educated decisions after the holidays.”
That’s why Krinninger’s organization closes the adoption process for most requests in mid-November and reopens them in January.
Instead, she offers gift certificates, something many pet rescue groups are turning to. In many cases, there’s no charge unless the certificate is redeemed.
“If they want to give a child the gift of a pet this holiday, one way we recommend is a gift certificate in a box with a stuffed animal,” said Barb Weber, founder of Barb’s Precious Rescue, a cat and kitten rescue facility in Palatine. “Most children are just as excited because they know they’re going to get a cat and they have a stuffed animal.”
Parents also need to understand that this pet is going to be their responsibility even if they’re getting it for their children, most rescue and adoption operators say.
“What we always say too is it’s the adult’s responsibility and make sure they understand it’s not the kids’ responsibility,” Bartoli said. “The parent cannot expect the child to take care of the dog. We can’t expect kids to make decisions like adults would.”
Krinninger said she gets about three to four inquiries a week about someone adopting an animal her organization is housing in the weeks leading up to Christmas.
“It’s just not a good idea,” she said. “These are living, breathing souls. They’re not disposable.”
She even argued against getting smaller animals such as fish, guinea pigs, bunnies or reptiles as gifts. They may be cheaper to buy, but most require a lot of care.
“There’s a whole load of stuff you have to buy with reptiles and other exotics,” Krinninger said. “With reptiles, the husbandry of it is very intricate and there’s very little wiggle room. They’re sensitive.”
Winnie agrees.
“There’s no such thing as a starter pet,” she said. “We absolutely want pets going to loving homes, even if that can happen during the holidays, but we want them to stay there.”