Animal shelters warn against giving pets as holiday gifts

While there may be nothing cuter than a puppy or a kitten sitting underneath the tree Christmas morning, animal shelters are warning against giving such a gift as a surprise. "[There's] probably nothing

News 12 Staff

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Dec 18, 2011, 11:42 PM

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Updated 4,756 days ago

While there may be nothing cuter than a puppy or a kitten sitting underneath the tree Christmas morning, animal shelters are warning against giving such a gift as a surprise.

"[There's] probably nothing more adorable in the world, but you got to make sure that everybody's on board with a pet coming into your family," says Liberty Humane Society Director Irene Borngraeber.

Borngraeber says that while she?d love to see all the pets in the shelter given as gifts, she says pets are a lifetime commitment and some people might not be ready for that.

She notes that the shelter prohibits adopting pets as a surprise gift in hopes that it keeps the pets from being returned.

Borngraeber says that unfortunately the shelter sees an increase in pets being dropped off after the holidays.