THE DUBLIN SOCIETY for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA) is urging people not to purchase a pet instead of an engagement ring this Christmas. 

Ireland’s largest animal welfare charity said that while many people often consider a pet to be an ideal Christmas gift for someone, these animals can end up being surrendered or abandoned later because the owner was not able to care for them. 

“You would be surprised the number of people who surprise their loved one with a puppy or a kitten instead of an engagement ring,” Gillian Bird, head of education at the DSPCA, told The Journal.

“This is the time of the year that a lot of couples have been together for a while, there’s a bit of pressure starting to be felt, people wonder: ‘Are they expecting a ring this year?’. And what happens is people opt for the pet instead.

“We do see a lot of animals that are bought instead of engagement rings, which is actually more of a commitment.

An engagement ring can be given back whereas a pet cannot.

The charity is advising anyone who might be considering giving an animal as a Christmas present to reconsider. 

“The person you’re giving the animal to may have mentioned they want a pet, but they may not actually be ready for it,” Bird said. 

“That can be anything from a dog, cat, horse, goldfish, snake. Giving pets generally as presents is not a good idea.”

She said that people often tend to forget how much is involved in taking care of an animal, including the cost.

“With dogs, yes, they need exercising and attention, but there’s a lot of other associated costs. You’ve got the cost of food, of veterinary care, of boarding if you’re going away on holidays. There is a lot of hidden associated cost with them,” she said.

“People often say that cats don’t take up much time, but they can take an enormous amount of time. It very much depends on the cash. You can have some cats that sleep all day long and maybe sit in your lap in the evening, and then you can have cats that are full-on and need your attention 24 hours a day.”

Surrender requests

The DSPCA usually sees an increase in the number of animals being surrendered in November and December, and this year was no exception, according to Bird.

“We’ve had a constant stream this year of people wanting to surrender animals for lots of different reasons. They’re not puppies or kittens, what they usually are are older animals. Sometimes they’re animals that may be getting on in age, they may be losing their eyesight, they may be deaf, they may be looking like they’re going to need some fairly major veterinary treatment soon,” she said.

“Sometimes they think they’re doing the right thing by saying ‘we’ll rehome the dog, he’ll be able to find a better home’. But if you’re talking about rehoming a ten or 12-year-old dog, that’s not very fair on the animal.”

Bird said that dogs and other animals that are surrendered to the animal shelter after Christmas are often pets that were purchased the previous Christmas, which often makes rehoming them more difficult. 

“We would adore it if people came to us straight after Christmas and said: ‘We got a puppy. It was a mistake’, because when animals are young, they’re easy to rehome,” she said.

“Whereas people usually wait until Easter, the summer holidays, the following Christmas – at which point, animals have often developed behavioural issues. They’re not as appealing as a young puppy or a kitten is.”

There are currently 85 dogs in the shelter, which are a mixture of sick and injured strays, cruelty cases and surrendered dogs from owners who could not keep them any longer.

When The Journal visited the DSPCA earlier this year, there were over 100 dogs on a waiting list to be surrendered to the shelter. Currently, the number of dogs on the waiting list stands at 66. 

“It’s been a busy year,” Bird said.

“We’re trying to foster as many animals as we can, which will help take pressure off the kennels. That means we can do some maintenance but it also means we’ll have space for the animals that come in over the Christmas period as well.”

For those thinking of getting themselves a pet, Bird said they should think carefully before doing so.

“This is an animal that’s going to be with you for hopefully, up to 18 to 20 years. If you’ve thought long and hard about it and you know that Christmas time is the time that you are going to be able to give the animal a lot of time and attention but also give it time and attention after Christmas, it’s not necessarily not a good time to get an animal.

“It’s all dependent on your circumstances and what you are looking for in a pet. But definitely, buying pets as presents is a no. Rushing out at the last minute thinking: ‘I can’t get the child the toy they really want, I’ll get them a rabbit or I’ll get them a puppy’, that’s what we don’t want.”

Fostering

Bird recommends against buying an animal and instead going to the DSPCA or their local rescue centre to see if they have the pet they want. 

“People forget to come to us if they want a rabbit or guinea pig or a ferret or or even a tortoise as well as dogs and cats,” she said.

“You may end up having to wait a little bit longer to find your perfect pet, or what you think is your perfect pet may not actually be and we can find you something even better and more suitable.”

She said that choosing to go to a rescue centre over purchasing an animal privately means that new owners will have the support of the centre.

“With us, the animals we arrange for them will be neutered by ourselves – sometimes when you get them and sometimes pre arranged afterwards, which is all pre paid for. We’ll tell you as much as we know about the animals, they’ll have their vaccinations and you’ll have our support if you’re having any issues such as dog training or behavioural issues.”

She is also reminding people that they can choose to foster an animal with the shelter over the Christmas period before deciding to adopt.

“They would be taking the animal into their home over the two weeks of Christmas. We’ll give them all the food and all the supplies they need for the animal. They then look after it for the two weeks and bring it back to us after Christmas.

“It’s a really good way to see whether or not having a pet is the right thing for you. A lot of our fosterers who are planning on only taking an animal for a few weeks will end up adopting that animal.”

The charity is currently running its Be a Good Human Campaign in the run-up to the festive season, which includes tips on how to care for your pet this Christmas.

More information is available on the DSPCA’s website.