Give Your Child a Gift Certificate for Christmas, Not a Real Pet
You have decided to give your child a pet for Christmas. You chose from the ideal animal, you bought a cute bow (you must have a bow), and you set up your camera and tripod to capture a large one. This will be the greatest surprise ever.
Delay.
Every December, shelters see impatient mums and dads take pets home to give their kids some epic holiday gifts. Then, every January and February, they see those same parents looking defeated, returning their animals, not realizing how much time, work and money it will take to care for the Little Boots or Fifi.
There is always well-meaning news that warns against giving pets as holiday gifts, but avoiding this practice completely eliminates any opportunity for animal rescue. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) believes that people should give pets as gifts if recipients “have expressed a strong interest in owning and caring for one animal responsibly.”
While it’s not that exciting (and definitely not that good for a Facebook video), those who are confident they want to give their child a pet can give them a gift certificate that covers the fees for adopting a pet at a local shelter or rescue group. (You can place it in a pet carrier or crate to make it look more real.) The San Diego Animal Welfare Society recommends doing this to “actively involve prospective pet parents in the selection process.”
With more time, you and your child can study behaviors, habits, energies, compatibility with other animals, and enrichment needs in different pets and breeds to figure out which one is best for your family. Together, you can protect your home from pets by setting up baby gates and scanning lower areas for sharp edges or potential choking hazards. You can take your child shopping for food and supplies to show him how much it really costs to have a pet. You can ask your child to sign a pet contract so you don’t have to do all the dirty work. (Although the ASPCA notes that if the recipient is under 12 years old, the child’s parents must be “ready to take care of the animal.”)
This is a much better option than putting Tanka in a box, watching your child gleefully open it, and then stare blankly at the thing, thinking: Now what?