This holiday season, RSPCA ACT want to stress the importance to Canberrans that pets are for life, not just a gift on Christmas Day.
“It’s a massive joy and so rewarding, but it’s work and it’s a commitment. Seeing animals who’ve done nothing wrong being returned to shelters just breaks our hearts,” said RSPCA ACT CEO Michelle Robertson.
Ms Robertson said in the last financial year, about a quarter of all animals that were brought into RSPCA ACT were surrenders, which is a significant number.
“The big consideration is that buying a pet can’t be an impulse decision. We don’t recommend you buy a pet as a gift if you haven’t consulted with the person, because when you adopt or purchase animals it’s for the life of the animal – it’s not just something you do for a little while,” she said.
“In most cases, the problem is when the cute puppy is now six months old, hasn’t been trained or socialised properly, and is now eating the house, being mouthy, and isn’t toilet trained. People will then just say it’s too hard and surrender the dog, and it happens a lot with cats, too.”
Ms Robertson said RSPCA ACT takes great care to match the perfect pet to the right owner and home, which avoids many animals being returned to shelters.
When people purchase pets through registered breeders or social media, their criteria for matching the animals and vetting their customers sits at a much lower bar, which can lead to unprepared owners.
“You need to look at your lifestyle to find out what sort of animal species and breed will suit your personality type. Make sure you do your research to make sure you can afford the type of animal you want, and can provide it with the proper foods, vet bills and have the right house structure,” she said.
“And if you are ready, please adopt and don’t shop this Christmas. We have so many beautiful animals in rescue shelters who haven’t done anything wrong, and it’s just humans that have let them down. Our team want to work with you to find the right match, so you end up with the perfect pet for you.”
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