Pets as gifts OK if people are prepared: Saskatoon SPCA

If there is an animal lover in your life, a pet is an OK gift idea — but make sure they’re ready for the responsibility.

That’s the message from Jasmine Hanson the Saskatoon SPCA’s education and public relations coordinator.

“Pets can make wonderful gifts for friends and family, but we always want to make sure that people understand the responsibility associated with that,” she said.

While some communities experience mass returns of animals adopted as gifts, Hanson said it’s not common with pets adopted out of the Saskatoon SPCA.

“We do a lot of work ahead of the adoption,” Hanson explained.

She said the vetting process is designed to try and determine if people are ready for the responsibility of an animal.

She credits such groundwork for the low number of animals brought back to the shelter.

“We are really optimistic around the Christmas season,” Hanson said. “Adoptions are steady as normal and we are able to get them (animals) to the best homes without too many returns.”

While she said she couldn’t speak to the experience of shelters in other communities,. Hanson said the Saskatoon SPCA doesn’t typically experience mass returns after holidays.