Courtesy of the Niagara Frontier Veterinary Society

Imagine this scenario: A family is gathered around exchanging presents. There is one last gift tucked away. You hand the present to a child, and he or she opens it to find a puppy or kitten. The tears of happiness start flowing and the big smiles on all involved will be forever captured in photos and video. The pet immediately becomes a cherished member of the family.

Of course, this scenario is perfect when giving a pet as a gift. A recent ASPCA study found that pets received as gifts generally have a low return rate. According to the survey, 96% of the people who received pets as gifts thought it either increased or had no impact on their love or attachment to that pet. The survey also revealed no difference in attachment based on the gift being a surprise or being known in advance.

Even with such sunny outcomes, there is still the possibility that a pet given as a surprise gift may not be welcomed with open arms. In fact, many animal organizations frown upon giving pets as gifts. Rather than getting into a situation where an animal’s welfare could be at risk, it is important to keep a few things in mind when considering gifting a pet.

  • Don’t make it a surprise. Unless it’s for your own children, do not give a pet as a surprise gift. Even if a person has expressed an interest in having a pet, he or she may not be ready at the moment. Talk the gift idea over with the potential recipient if your mind is set on gifting a pet so that you can make it a collaborative effort. The thought is still there.
  • Pay for adoption fees. You can visit a shelter and preemptively pay the adoption fees if you know that a person will be adopting a pet in the near future. This way you can make the gift a surprise and enable the recipient to choose the right timing to go pick out a pet.
  • Offer supplies instead. Another pet-related gift idea is to offer a gift card to a nearby pet retailer so that the person will be able to stock up on supplies when the time comes to get a pet.
  • Do not act on impulse. A pet is a very personal decision. Even if someone you know is very interested in getting a pet, he or she may want to pick out the pet rather than have that choice made by a loved one. Taking away the opportunity to select and bond with a given companion animal could backfire.

Although giving pets as gifts often works out for the best, it’s always best to test the waters and tread carefully to maximize the chances that the pet fits in at its new home.

The Niagara Frontier Veterinary Society consists of 75 small animal hospitals and 200 practitioners in Erie and Niagara counties. Learn more at www.nfveterinarysociety.org.