Looking at dogs, it's easy to get caught up in their cuteness.
“Because they’re cute, puppies are cute but guess what, puppies turn into dogs, and then ‘we don’t want a dog,’” said Jan Lavender with the Oklahoma Alliance for Animals.
Lavender says that puppy charm is not enough to gift an animal as a present.
“I think a lot of people go to the shelters and rescues for pets for Christmas; it’s just not a great idea,” she said.
Although people who give pets as gifts have the best of intentions, folks at the Oklahoma Alliance for Animals say it's not fair unless you’re 100% certain that person wants it and is willing to give it the proper care it needs.
Lavender says getting an animal requires a lifetime commitment to caring for them.
“Years, I mean 15 to 17 years depending on the size of the animal, so when you do your research and you’re considering getting a pet, know that that’s a family member,” she said.
Unwanted animals are often abandoned, passed from home to home, or brought back to a shelter. Lavender says there’s always an increase in dumped animals after the holiday.
“They’ll turn them out onto the street if they don’t want them. Not everybody does that, but a lot of people do; unfortunately, we see it on a regular basis,” she said.
That's why she says the OAA is committed to trying to match what works for a person or family.
“We really try to do our due diligence before we let somebody adopt a pet, so we don’t get it back… it’s not fair,” Lavender said.
And she believes it's important to think before giving.
“They are work, they are our responsibility…make the responsible choice,” she said.