Animal Care Center talks pet adoptions amid holiday season

5 hours ago

Nyana Whitelaw,

JACKSON, Tenn. — Christmas is near and on many wishlists are adorable furry friends — this has lead to an increase in holiday pet adoptions.

“We see a big rush with people wanting to adopt certain animals around the holidays, specifically very small puppies and very young kittens,” said Whitney Owen, Jackson Animal Care Center Director.

However, Owen warns that it may not be a good idea for everyone to bring a new pet home during the holidays.

Shelters often see pets being returned after the season passes.

“It is definitely something that’s not for everybody and it doesn’t make you a bad person if its not for you,” Owen said. “It’s a big financial burden, you know, and sometimes you don’t realize what you’re getting into.”

But for many people, a pet for the holidays is the perfect Christmas miracle.

If you’re gifting an animal to a loved one, Owen says consider doing your research first.

“A lot of people don’t do their research first and so, in their head, they’re like ‘oh, I’m going to get my children a pet’ or ‘I’m going to get my girlfriend, boyfriend, husband, wife [a pet],” Owen said. “And they don’t consider the fact that they are now committing that person to a decade or more of pet care.”

This often leads to animal neglect or surrenders.

“It causes community issues. It’s not just a bad decision with one person. It causes problems that the community then has to shoulder the responsibility of,” said Owen.

Owning a pet comes with a lot of responsibility.

As parents consider gifting their kids an animal this Christmas, Owen says to make sure they understand the commitment it takes.

“The issue that we see a lot of is if it’s very, very young children, ‘I want a cat”. If it’s a four-year-old saying that, I’m sure they do want a cat today, but then three weeks from now, they may not care about the cat at all,” said Owen.