The holidays are a tempting time to give someone a new pet as a present, and we have a few suggestions for making the most out of that memory! When giving a pet as a gift, we always recommend having the person who is going to care for the pet choose the pet themselves.

Some people express interest in pets but don't know what's involved in caring for them. Many children think they are ready for the responsibility of a puppy, but have never truly considered what those responsibilities are.

For younger children, sharing the responsibility can be a great way to give them agency to demonstrate their capabilities. Some animals are far more time-consuming than others. While a five-year-old may not be ready to care for a puppy, they may love taking care of their Guinea Pigs or Bearded Dragon.

Be sure to consider all of the options there are for pets. The care for each of them is different, and we have care sheets to provide you with all of the information you'll need to make an informed decision.

Personality Quiz

The responsibility that comes with caring for an animal should not be taken lightly. Most shelters will not adopt a dog to anyone who is not going to be the owner of the dog, and some even expressly forbid adoptions-as-gifts.

Did you know that on average 3 million dogs and cats are dropped off at shelters after the holiday season?  

It is heartbreaking to be in a situation where an animal must be surrendered because of circumstances that can be easily avoided through additional planning and talking it through with everyone involved with caring for the animal.

The Set-Up

It feels festive to surprise someone, and you still can by surprising them with the care setup and setting a date for them to go and pick out the animal themselves.

Wrap their new cage, aquarium, or collar as the present. It’s still just as exciting, and everyone gets a say in which animal you get to bring home. Hiding a live animal until the day-of is usually a bad idea. It's stressful on the animal, and doesn't make for a great introduction.

Getting everything set up at home before the arrival of the animals can help make the transition smoother for everyone!