Forget the surprise if you're thinking of giving a pet as a holiday present
Giving a pet as a surprise gift at the holidays isn’t generally recommended
NEW YORK — Adriene Mishler was still grieving the loss of her beloved blue heeler mix when her boyfriend at the time surprised her with a Christmas puppy that was nearly identical.
“I wasn’t quite ready to fall in love with another animal,” she said. “At the same time, looking back, I was also really blessed with an opportunity to pour my love into some other thing when I was feeling down and sad and alone.”
That was 2014. Today, her Benji is adored by more than 12 million people who see him regularly on camera cuddling close or sleeping nearby in videos on her YouTube channel, Yoga with Adriene.
There was a happy ending for Mishler and Benji, but that's not always the case when it comes to surprising someone with a new pet, especially amid the chaos of the holiday season.
Giving a pet as a blind gift isn't recommended, but offering one without the surprise element and with a little planning can enrich the lives of animals and humans alike. That's especially important now, when shelters and rescue groups are experiencing crisis-level numbers of animals due to the economy and higher costs for supplies.
In response to the overflow, shelter operators and animal welfare organizations have urged a more one-on-one, conversational approach to screening new homes, rather than the arduous written questionnaires of the past that are now perceived as unnecessary barriers to some adoptions.
But the new approach often requires the participation of prospective pet owners. That removes the wow factor and photo op of leaving a dog or cat under the tree with no preparation and a big red bow.
Instead, more shelters have turned to Santa-adorned gift certificates
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