Gifting pets can result in more animals in shelters

She encouraged parents who were considering a pet for their child to consider the responsibility.

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Gifting pets during the holiday can result in more animals in shelters.

Animals can make fun gifts for some during the holidays, but for others, they are long-term commitments they are not ready for.

Unfortunately, many animals will end up in shelters.

Columbus Lowndes Humane Society Outreach Coordinator Brandy Johnson said this influx of animals puts a strain on shelters.

“We get a lot of cats and dogs after the holidays that were given as gifts. And it really overwhelms us. We can hold around 200 animals and usually, it kind of goes over those amounts. We do send them on transport and we do adopt them out here. But it takes a very long time to get all of that orchestrated,” Johnson said.

She encouraged parents who were considering a pet for their child to consider the responsibility.

“If you do want to go that route and think a pet is good for your family, make sure your children are old enough to help. Definitely try not to get your younger children a pet for Christmas unless you are absolutely ready to take care of it yourself,” Johnson said.

It is important to put a lot of thought into if a pet is the right fit for your family and lifestyle.

“You want to make sure that you check with your lifestyle. Are you gone all the time? Do you work from home? Do you travel a lot? Do you live in an apartment or a house? Do you have a backyard, no backyard? What activity level your dog can do? You want to match the dog to lifestyle,” Johnson said.

You may also consider adopting a pet from your local shelter or simply making a donation in someone’s name this holiday season.

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