The Medicine Hat SPCA is cautioning potential pet owners that adoption of animals as a Christmas gift is usually a bad idea, and shelters generally see an influx of surrenders following the holidays.--FILE PHOTO
asmith@medicinehatnews.com
With the season for gifts right around the corner, the Medicine Hat SPCA wants to remind residents that a new furry friend is rarely meant to go under the tree.
The shelter is currently completely at capacity, says director Stacey Fettig, and has a lengthy waitlist to be able to surrender an animal.
“For every animal we adopt out, we’re bringing another one in,” said Fettig. “No matter what time of year it is, we always have a wait list.”
This time of year does see a surge in adoptions, but there has historically been an increase in animals returned following the holidays, something the SPCA tries to screen for in a couple of different ways through its usual adoption process.
“Anyone who wants an animal has to fill out a questionnaire, and our adoption specialist goes through it and sees if they are the right fit,” said Fettig. “Something we also do here is that our last day to adopt in December is the 14th, to try and stop them from being used as Christmas gifts.”
She explained that having to take care of the animals for a few weeks before the holiday itself can help prevent those spur of the moment adoptions that can lead to surrendered or abandoned animals, but it also reduces stress for animals who would be having to adjust to a new environment during the chaos of the Holiday Season.
Because of the fact the shelter remains at capacity, said Fettig, they want to hold as much space on the waitlist for animals who are being surrendered as a last resort.
“A lot of the time when people surrender, it’s like out of their hands, due to the economy, if they lose their job, sometimes it’s either they eat or their animal eats,” said Fettig. “Lately, most of the surrendering is, hey, like ‘I had to downgrade and move into an apartment, or I’m about to be homeless.’ It’s heartbreaking, and we want to be able to help as many of these people as we can.”
Fettig and SPCA stressed that an animal is a commitment for the lifetime of the pet and, as such, does not make for good impulse or surprise gifts. The only exception may be parents who are surprising their young children, provided they were already planning for a pet.
