Don’t give pets as gifts, Humane Society warns

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This article was published 11/12/2018 (2586 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Brandon Humane Society has a message for people thinking about giving a pet as a gift this holiday season: don’t do it.

“Pets are living creatures. You wouldn’t adopt a child and give it to somebody for Christmas. It’s insane to me,” said Tracy Munn, shelter manager at the Brandon Humane Society.

Munn said many animal shelters, including the one in Brandon, suspend adoptions over the holidays to avoid the problem of pets being given as gifts.

“What I recommend people do if they want a pet for Christmas, if you want a kitten go get a stuffed kitten or if you want a puppy go get a stuffed puppy, wrap up a little certificate and say ‘Hey, let’s go pick an animal together after the holidays,’” she said.

Shelters used to run into issues with an influx of people who received pets they didn’t want or couldn’t take care of after Christmas.

While the issue has lessened as more and more shelters have stopped adoptions during the holidays, it’s something they continue to have to do, Munn said.

“People don’t think about the responsibility of animals. They can be expensive, time-consuming. They’re wonderful, but there’s a lot of forethought to put into it when getting an animal.”

She said adopting an cat or dog is a big commitment and the local humane society won’t be following in the footsteps of the Winnipeg Humane Society by running a “staycation” program for animals over the holidays.

The Winnipeg program allows people to apply to take a medium or large-sized dog for the weekend. The WHS website says the staycation program gives the adopter companionship for the weekend while giving the dog time away from the shelter environment and exposure to new adopters.

Munn said the Brandon Humane Society is different from the one in Winnipeg as it allows the animals more free rein, and they are not locked in kennels all day.

“Our animals are not locked into rooms and kennels, they’re out running,” she said. “I’ve got about six dogs sprawled on a sectional in my office. … We have big fenced yards the dogs run in and out of all day, the cats have a patio and they’re sprawled in the window.”

She said the Brandon shelter is closer to a home environment than most other animal shelters, so the animals don’t necessarily need the same break. It’s a nice idea, but problems can still happen in short time periods.

“I don’t think it should be a trial period and two days will never give you an idea what it is to have a pet,” she said. “You need to have a pet for years. I mean, things can go along great for a while and then something happens.”

Animals can be great companions, Munn said, but they shouldn’t be given as a cute Christmas gift. There are also issues with new or young dogs eating left-out chocolate this time of year, or eating tinsel off a Christmas tree, both of which can make them sick.

“People are stressed at Christmas, they’re busy and it’s holiday time and so people are busy anyhow. It’s just not the time to get a pet.”

» dmay@brandonsun.com

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