One-year-old Mickey is one of the many cats at Medicine Hat's SPCA hoping to find a forever home in 2023. Mickey is an affectionate, playful and friendly fellow, who would like to be in a home with other cats. - NEWS PHOTO KENDALL KING
kking@medicinehatnews.com
Medicine Hat’s SPCA is reminding Hatters that while pets are a joy, they are also a commitment deserving of careful consideration prior to adoption, especially around the Holiday Season.
“We always try and not encourage adoptions around the Holidays because a lot of times, those animals will tend to come back to the shelter,” Linda Tooth, vice president of the local SPCA board, told the News.
While Tooth said the number of failed Holiday adoptions can vary year-over-year, the SPCA almost always sees a few, not limited to a specific type of animal.
“People think it’s a great idea to adopt at the time,” Tooth said. “But then Christmas is done, the Holidays are done, the kids are back to school, the parents are back to work; and all of a sudden, they’ve got this animal that needs care and attention. (And) now they don’t have the time.”
Not only can a failed adoption cause distress for the adopter(s), Tooth says it’s also upsetting for the animal.
“It’s hard because (the animal) is used to that shelter environment,” said Tooth. “So, when we take them out of that and put them in a home where they’ve got that little bit of freedom, they think ‘This is where I’m going to live for the rest of my life.’ But then we take them out of that and put them back in the shelter. And it’s very traumatic.”
As such, Tooth encourages Hatters interested in adopting a pet to take time over the Holidays to consider the decision, and, if certain, proceed in with the adoption in the New Year.
In the meantime, she welcomes those interested in adoption to visit the SPCA building, meet the animals currently housed there and consult with staff about which animal might be the best match.
She also invites potential adopters to consider fostering an animal before outright adopting it.
“Make an appointment to come in and see the animals and see how you interact with the animals because they all have different personalities,” she said. “So, come in a couple of times, I would suggest.
“And then if you’re still (not sure), maybe fostering might be the way to go. (So you could) bring an animal into your home, see how they interact with maybe other animals, see how they interact with people and children. And then from there, once you’re comfortable with that fostering situation, then come right on out and fully adopt that animal.”
For more information about pet adoptions, contact the SPCA at 403-526-7722.
