Animals As Gifts: Should You Do It?

Happy Sunday, Missians!

Hopefully you guys are already enjoying a relaxing day, before we kick back off into another work week tomorrow.  For those of you ready for your next Christmas in July post, you're in luck, because here it is!  In today's post, we ask the question, should you give pets as Christmas gifts (or any gift for that matter)?

To help us flesh out the considerations, we turn to the Web MD article,  "Giving Pets as Gifts:  Think Twice,  Follow these 4 rules before giving someone a dog or cat as a gift" by Wendy C. Fries...

https://pets.webmd.com/features/giving-pets-as-gifts#1

Giving Pets as Gifts: 4 Tips

For the holidays or a birthday, it can be tempting to give a cute, cuddly pet as a gift. Yet along with the precious purr that won't quit or the fluffy tail that never stops wagging, there comes a commitment to another life for the next 10, 15, even 20 years.

No one wants to give an unwanted gift -- especially a vulnerable one that lives and breathes. If you're thinking about giving a pet as a gift, the experts offer these tips to help you make sure that that gift is actually a good idea.

1. Give friends and family a pet as a gift -- but never as a surprise. Pets are a wonderful addition to life, yet not everyone has the time, energy, money, or interest in having a pet, says Peggy Post, director of the Emily Post Institute, and author of the 17th edition of Emily Post's Etiquette.

That's why Post suggests always asking the receiver if they want a pet. "Some people will ask relatives or friends, but often no one asks the recipient," Post says. A surprise may feel more festive, but in the long run everyone -- whether they have two legs or four -- will be happier if you ask up front.

2. Pay the pet's adoption fees. Once you know your recipient wants a pet, tell them you'll pay the shelter's adoption fees for them in advance. If ultimately they decide against adopting a pet, you'll have made a much-needed donation to a shelter in their name.

And remember that shelters are a great resource, even if your recipient is keen on a pedigreed pet. "A lot of facilities do have purebreds," says Mike Arms, president of the Helen Woodward Animal Center.

3. Give pet as gift to immediate family only. Sometimes a friend might accept a pet as a gift because they just don't know how to say no. That's one reason Arms suggests giving pets as gifts only to your immediate family -- husband, wife, or kids.

And even then, it's important to make sure it's a family decision, says Atlanta veterinarian Jean Sonnenfield, DVM, because "when you get a pet, it is like having a child. There are a lot of financial, emotional, and time concerns."

Sonnenfield says the unconditional love you get from a pet is amazing, but it does come with work. And vet bills. And walks. And flea medication. And unintended messes. So be sure.

4. Avoid impulse. Whether you want to give a pet to the kids or to a friend, don't do it on impulse, Arms says. If you're going to the store for a quart of milk and you see a child out front with a box of cute kittens or puppies, resist. "You weren't going there for a pet."

Acting on impulse also doesn't give you (or the recipient) the chance to select a pet by size, activity level, and temperament, all important factors when choosing a pet, Sonnenfield says.

When You Don't Want a Pet as a Gift

After you waxed lyrical about your childhood pet, your neighbor surprised you with the gift of a puppy or kitten. Unfortunately, you don't want a pet. What do you do?

• Thank the giver. Even if a pet is the last thing you were hoping for, remember that the giver meant well, says Post, so "be gracious. It goes back to the basics of etiquette; be honest, respectful, and considerate."
• Decline the gift. After you've thanked the giver, decline their gift gracefully -- and quickly. Most purchased pets do have a return policy within a certain timeframe, Sonnenfield says.
• Or, accept the gift and find the pet a good home. Unfortunately, not every gifted pet can be returned. In that instance, Arms suggests accepting the pet, then taking out an ad, screening potential owners, and finding a good home for the pet. "It's the kindest thing you can do." Although relinquishing the pet to a shelter would make it easy on you, that puts "all the onus on a facility that's overcrowded to begin with," Arms says.

I think this article provides great advice on what to consider before giving a pet as a gift.  Remember, animals are living, breathing creatures that deserves good homes and families that have the proper time, energy, and means to care for them; and also be considerate of the potential recipient(s).  Do they even want a pet?  Do they have time for a pet?  Can they comfortably afford vet bills and food?  Remember, though your heart is in the right place in wanting to give a pet as a gift, you don't want to create a situation that is painful to all parties involved, (the animal and the human receiver).  

To read the whole article, be sure to click the link at the beginning of the post.

That's for now, my Missians!

I'll see you all back here tomorrow for our last week of Christmas in July installments.

Until then, 

This is your host J, 

signing off...

As cute as we are, first make sure we're wanted before you gift us as a gift