Oh, the joy of the holidays, with the possibility of a squirming puppy or fluffy kitten waiting under the Christmas tree. But what happens when house training gets frustrating or an eager child gets bored with his new furry friend?
There's a long-standing belief that pets given as gifts, particularly around the holidays, often end up in shelters several weeks later. In fact, this belief is so prevalent that some rescue groups discourage such "gift" adoptions around the holidays.
A spokesperson for Dogs and Cats for Rehoming & Rescue Adelaide in Australia takes it a step further, dubbing the spike in rehoming requests after the holidays "the Christmas dumpathon."
It's a serious concern, but there's another side to this story.
What the studies say
That kitten under the tree could turn out to be a long-time, happy member of the family, say studies. (Photo: ANURAK PONGPATIMET/Shutterstock)
The consensus in the animal welfare community is starting to change.
"Fortunately, nowadays we have a considerable amount of data that has been collected surrounding this issue, and we know now that’s just not the case — in fact, studies show that animals given as gifts are actually more likely to be kept in their new homes," Inga Fricke, director of Pet Retention Programs for the Humane Society of the United States, tells MNN.
A 1996 study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association looked at the risk factors that made a __dog more likely to be relinquished to an animal shelter. It found that dogs received as gifts were much less likely to be relinquished than dogs purchased or adopted by the owner directly.
More recently, a 2013 study by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) found no connection between getting a __dog or cat as a gift and an owner’s relationship to the animal. The ASPCA found that 96 percent of people who received pets as gifts — whether it was a surprise or not — thought it either increased or had no impact on their love or attachment to that pet.
Dr. Emily Weiss, ASPCA vice president of research and development, was the lead author on the ASPCA study. She tells MNN that researchers tackled the post-Christmas pet return myth in part because of personal experiences.
"We were certain looking at our own lives that this didn't make much sense. We weren't very sure there was much fact based in that myth," she says.
They knew there was already some research available about why people give up their pets, but they wanted to collect more data in hopes that it would help shelters place more animals into permanent homes, Weiss says.
Earlier studies looked at why pets were relinquished to shelters and found that the majority of pets that were returned had come from shelters, breeders or friends. The odds of the pet being returned were much lower when it was a gift.
A 1998 study pinpointed 71 different reasons dogs and cats were returned to shelters. They ranged from "aggression toward people" to "hyperactive." A mere .3 percent of dogs and .4 percent of cats were returned because they were an "unwanted gift."
"There's probably something inherent in receiving a pet as a gift that might increase the likelihood of the bond," Weiss says. "Just that very basic obtaining the pet from somebody who loves them increases the likelihood that somebody will be attached to the pet."
What some rescue groups say
Some rescue groups won't allow any pet adoptions as gifts, except to family members. (Photo: ngorkapong/Shutterstock)
Most rescue groups and shelters don't seem to be fans of giving pets as surprise gifts unless it's parents who want to surprise their kids. In that case, the parents typically understand the family commitment that will be necessary.
"Many people have a somewhat romantic view of what dog ownership is like. This romanticism can become exaggerated by the warmth and loving kindness associated with the Christmas season," writes Ruth Ginzberg at PetRescue.com. "People who have not had dogs before, or who have not had dogs since they were themselves children, or who have recently had a dog but one who was a canine senior citizen trained and socialized to the family’s ways long ago, often are completely unaware of how much work it is to raise a puppy from infancy into a good adult canine companion."
At Austin Pets Alive, a large no-kill shelter with many rescue programs in Texas, people aren't allowed to adopt if the pet will be given as a gift outside their immediate family, says spokesperson Lisa Maxwell.
However, at FurKids, an Atlanta-based rescue group, the holidays have been a successful time for long-lasted pet adoptions, says founder and CEO Samantha Shelton.
"For our organization, we have seen great success for families adopting at the holidays," Shelton say. "Our adoption process helps to ensure they are prepared and have thought through the decision and that it's not an impulse decision. We also remain a resource to help them with training and any issues they may have."
However, the group also follows the family-only rule for surprise adoptions.
The keys to successful adoption
Instead of surprising someone with a pet, take them with you to help pick one out. It will still be special. (Photo: Mila Supinskaya Glashchenko/Shutterstock)
Giving a pet as a gift may not be such a terrible idea after all, but for any animal adoption, there are still plenty of things to consider before you go find the perfect bow for this gift.
The ASPCA recommends giving pets as gifts only to people who have shown long-term interest in having one and who you believe have the ability to responsibly care for one.
Even better, give the recipients a collar and pet supplies and let them pick out the pet with you.
Some rescue groups are even making it easier for people to adopt over the holidays, offering pets delivered by one of Santa's elves on Christmas morning.
While some groups have embraced holiday pets, the animal welfare community is still divided, Weiss says.
"Sheltering organization and rescue groups work independently and all have their own opinions, so it takes a long time to change their behavior," she says.
Various studies estimate that somewhere between 6-13 percent of pets eventually end up leaving their homes.
"Sometimes, no matter where a pet is obtained, it doesn’t work out. It could be mismatched expectations or something happens in a person's life," Weiss says. "That's the reality."
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