The holiday season is always a busy time of year for many. From buying groceries for Christmas dinner to catching flights to visit faraway family, everybody is up and on the move. Though these occurrences are common on this holiday, most might not know that animal shelters often experience an increase in adoptions during these busy times as well.
It is well known that the winter holidays are the peak season of pet adoption, in large part because of gifted pets. Some sources also mention Easter as a time of increased adoption. According to the Main Street Mirror, pet adoptions from December to January increase by 27%. This is corroborated by Shelter Animals Count, which shows the highest adoptions to intakes in the fourth quarter of the year. However, there is also a 25% increase in adopted pets being relinquished, perhaps because many pets received as gifts are unwanted by the recipient. That might be just one of many reasons to avoid a furry present.
As seen above, pet adoptions increase significantly during the Christmas season. This phenomenon has led to many speculations on whether it is beneficial for the animals adopted. Though more pets find homes during this time of year, some believe that these animals are overwhelmed by the business of the holidays and often get returned to shelters, drastically minimizing their chances of getting adopted in the future. This preconceived notion about end-of-the-year pet adoptions has been proven incorrect many times by studies conducted over the years. A study that took place in 2000 showed that out of the 71 different possible reasons for surrendering a pet, 0.3% of them were “unwanted gifts” while 10% of pets being surrendered were because of “no time for pet”. An additional study in 2013 questioned 1,006 different pet owners, and 222 responded that they received a pet as a gift in the past ten years. Out of those 222 people, 121 pet owners responded that they were surprised (not informed) of receiving a pet. Of the 121 not informed pet owners, 60% reported that their affection for their pet grew, while 4% said that their affection decreased, the remaining participants stated that their affection remained the same. Furthermore, of the respondents who said that they were uninformed when it came to the gifting of the pet, only 12.5% were returned. And though return rates are not as high as many believe, adopting a pet is no trivial matter. Pets are not just a holiday addition, they are family additions for 10-12 years. Often, people see gifting pets as an easy way to give an exceptional gift. Because of this, holiday pets can be susceptible to being mistreated and injured. One prime example of this are pets gifted during the Easter season. The bunnies, chicks, and ducklings are all at very vulnerable stages of their lives when they are gifted during Easter. And even if unintended, many of these animals die within a few weeks of being gifted. Bunnies, chicks, and ducklings are all pets that require more specialized care than that of the average cat and dog. These young animals often experience broken bones and more fatal injuries from being mishandled by small children, ultimately leading to death or a poor quality of life. The pets that do survive often get surrendered at the end of the Easter season, and many are euthanized due to unavailability of permanent homes.
So in the season of giving, a pet can be an incredible gift that will bring joy for years, but maybe a surprise hour or more of work a day isn’t the wisest. It’s best to talk with the receiver and especially hold off on giving small children these presents when they could potentially fatally wound it. Happy Holidays, and may they come with wonderful (and thoughtful) gifts.
