Pets make great gifts and I’m glad to see many shelters are finally coming around to that view, even if some only embrace the concept once a year. Christmas deliveries of adopted shelter pets to their new families has grown in popularity and along with it, some long overdue myth-busting.
Staff from the New Hampshire Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals dressed up as elves and delivered six kittens to adopters on Christmas Day:
“Studies show that animals given as gifts are much less likely to be surrendered or given up because of the emotional attachment they give to the owner,” [director Jen] Corbin said.
Dressed as Santa and his helpers, staff from St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center in Madison, New Jersey delivered adopted pets in wrapped boxes to adopters on Christmas:
The holidays can be a great time to adopt, [CEO Heather] Camissa says, because families are often at home and have time to spend with the pets and to acclimate them to their new home.
Also delivering pets to their new homes on Christmas morning were the Fairfax Co shelter in VA, volunteers from the Nevada Humane Society in Reno, the Charleston Animal Society in SC, and the Franklin Co shelter and the Greater Androscoggin Humane Society in Maine. And an adorable 9 year old girl in New Jersey got a pair of pitbull puppies delivered to her home on Christmas morning, courtesy of the Cumberland Co SPCA. The pictures will cure what ails ya.
Did your local shelter deliver pets on Christmas?