Pets as Christmas gifts

Pets as Christmas gifts is a hugely controversial issue. But research from the ASPCA* shows it’s time to think outside the gift box, with stats revealing that pets given as gifts have positive long-term adoption outcomes equal to, or better than, non-gifted pets! Pets thoughtfully given as gifts can increase the emotional attachment between the guardian and the pet, as long as they are well-matched, resulting in lower return rates for these pets!

Christmas is a great time for a pet to be adopted too! Many people spend the Christmas break at home, which gives new pets a chance to start settling in, bond with their new family and start any training needed before work and school routines start up again in the New Year.

You've adopted a dog! Here's what to expect while they settle in.

You've adopted a cat - here's what to expect post-adoption

While the thought of surprising your loved one with a pet can be exciting, make sure you’ve already discussed bringing a pet into the home, and have decided on the type of pet they’ll adopt and how they’ll fit into their lifestyle. It’s im-paw-tant to also discuss the financial and time commitment of bringing a wonderful rescue pet into your friend or family member’s life.

Four things to consider when adopting a pet for yourself or a loved one. 

We’ve popped together some suggestions for some thoughtful ways to ‘gift’ a rescue pet to a loved one, who has already decided they’re ready to adopt:

• If you want the gift to be a surprise, then gift a voucher/IOU for the adoption of a pet from your local shelter or rescue and be part of the selection process with your loved one. That way you get both the surprise and the joy of helping your loved one find their new family member!

• If it doesn’t need to be a surprise, then have your loved one involved in all aspects of the selection process and turn the pet’s ‘Gotcha Day’ into the gift giving day, where everyone can celebrate their new life together!

PetRescue’s program specialist Dr Di shares below the beautiful story of how she ‘gifted’ her sister’s children their beloved dog, Shadow;

“My sister and brother-in-law and their kids “fostered” Shadow to make sure the fit was good, then on the day she was supposed to be returned to the shelter to go find her new home, Deb brought the kids along and we finalised the adoption with everyone there. The Second Chance Animal Rescue team helped us make a big deal of it all, with an adoption certificate and a photo by Caity (who did SCAR’s social media). 

My two brothers and I paid the adoption fee and made sure they had the support they needed. We knew it was going to be a good fit because Shadow had already lived with them and Deborah and Darren were obviously in on the whole thing. Deb’s youngest Chris (now 17 years old!)  is a paediatric stroke survivor and has Cerebral Palsy and Epilepsy, and Shadow has an incredible 6th sense about when Chris is not right and she won’t leave his side for days when something is wrong.”

Are you from a shelter or rescue and want to steer potential gift-givers towards a better way to give pets as gifts? Get creative and lean into the idea with gift boxes of pet supplies that come with a pet adoption voucher that family members can buy their loved ones!

The festive period is also an awesome opportunity to foster a pet while you’re at home. Check out PetRescue’s Foster Care Directory to find rescue organisations near you looking for carers.

*ASPCA’s position statement and link to study: https://www.aspca.org/about-us/aspca-policy-and-position-statements/position-statement-pets-gifts 

Image banner credit: Marcus Pinho