There is just no data to support that we should be denying the adoption of a dog or cat to a person who wants to gift a pet to a loved one. Dr. Emily Weiss is back again this season to bust that old myth.

So, last week on the ASPCApro Facebook page, there was a passionate dialogue about adopted pets as gifts. There were those in support, and several who used words like “bad idea,” “foolish,” etc. And then there were a few folks who stated that their shelters received tons of calls after the holidays from those looking to get rid of the pet they received as a gift.

A couple of years ago we published asmall survey study exploring the impact on retention and perceived attachment when obtaining a pet as a gift. There was already a fair amount of peer-reviewed research pointing to pets obtained as gifts being no more likely to be relinquished – or in some cases, less likely to be relinquished than pets obtained other ways. But as most shelters were still not allowing pets to be adopted as gifts for others, we wanted to further explore the relationship.

We found that the majority of people who obtained a pet as a gift thought receiving the pet as a gift increased their level of attachment, and only 3% said it decreased it. The percentage of pets obtained as gifts still in the home is the same as, or lower than, the percentage reported for general pet retention.

There really is just no data to support that we should be denying the adoption of a dog or cat to person one who wants to gift a pet to a loved one. The earlier data could even be loosely interpreted that the better adoption option would be to adopt pets as gifts more readily than to adopt pets for an individual! In fact, this points to an important point in how we interpret risk. Look – most dogs and cats stay in their homes. Studies repeatedly tend to find a retention rate for keeping a pet for life somewhere around 85% ish.

So this means that for every 100 adoptions you do, you should count on about 15 of those animals being re-homed in the course of their lives. Yep. Now that should not stop us from doing adoptions. Instead, we should celebrate it – most dogs and cats stay home. And the better news is we are actively working on ways to increase that retention for those who want to keep their pets.

Now, going back to the couple of folks who commented on that Facebook post that they received lots of calls after the holidays… We suspect that the holiday season is a time in which there is a higher than average acquisition of new pets, be they obtained as a gift or for oneself. If that is true, one would expect that shelter may receive more calls after the holidays – not because pets given as gifts are more at risk, but because there are more new pets in general! I have to mention there were also those on that Facebook post who reported things such as, “I can only speak for my own experience. At our large open admission shelter, which I’ve been at for more than a dozen years, we have never, ever seen this to be a problem. So the answer from here is – yes, I know how many Christmas present pets are turned in to shelters after New Year’s – none here.”

I had the honor a couple of weeks ago to give the keynote at the Carolinas Unite conference and shared some of the data on pets as gifts. There were several organizations in the room that had embraced the idea and were among the shelters who were conducting pet deliveries on Christmas day. It was really great to see what happens when an old myth is busted and the lives that have been saved as a result. I collapse in tears as I watch this YouTube video of the human animal as he/she obtains a new pet as a gift. Let’s continue down this path and get more animals home where they belong.

Courtesy of ASPCA: http://www.aspcapro.org/blog/2015/11/18/pets-gifts-just-do-math

Many people use peanut butter as a snack or pill concealer for dogs. This is usually OK but some companies are using sugar substitutes in their products. Make sure you read your labels!

Xylitol is a sweetener that’s gaining in popularity because of its dental benefits for people as well as its suitability as a sugar substitute for people with diabetes. Because of its ability to help prevent cavities and tooth decay and its low glycemic index, xylitol is proving to have some good dental and other health benefits for people. Unfortunately, while xylitol appears to be perfectly safe for people, it is extremely dangerous for dogs — even in small quantities.

Ingestion of as little as 0.1 gram (g) of xylitol per kilogram (kg) of body weight (0.1 g/kg) can cause a rapid and dangerous drop in a dog’s blood sugar (a condition called “hypoglycemia”). Hypoglycemia can show as staggering, appearing disoriented, collapse, weakness, and seizures.

Just slightly more than that, approx. 0.5 g/kg xylitol ingestion, can lead to debilitating, and sadly often deadly, destruction of a dog’s liver cells.

These quantities, or toxic doses, are based on the data that the animal-specific poison control hotlines have collected from reported cases*. To highlight that these are reported cases is important, because not every case of toxicity makes it to the vet, and not everyone that does go to the vet is called into the animal poison control hotlines. So the actual toxic doses could be even lower, and dogs with certain pre-existing medical conditions (such as diabetes, hepatitis, and others) are likely to be even more sensitive to the toxic effects of xylitol.

*Sources: New Findings On The Effects Of Xylitol Ingestion In Dogs from ASPCA-APCC 2006; Acute Hepatic Failure And Coagulopathy Associated With Xylitol Ingestion In Eight Dogs from ASPCA-APCC 2006, published in JAVMA (J Am Vet Med Assoc 2006; 229:1113-1117)

This week is the National Animal Shelter and Rescue appreciation Week. The Humane Society of
the United States (HSUS) started celebrating in 1996 in Lincoln, Neb. The week is to focus on the 3,500 animal shelters across the US who try to place the estimated 6-8 million homeless animals each year.

The week “encourages people to become acquainted with their local shelters and rescues and to learn how they can assist their lifesaving work.”

Every local shelter or rescue needs volunteers – fosters especially. Without fosters the dogs cannot be rescued from shelters and given a chance to transition into a home environment. Many rescues and shelters have people who are working with limited resources and do not have the means to get these animals noticed.

There is a way that you can help. You will often see rescues ask you to share pictures and posts of animals. Sharing saves lives! The more they are shared, the more they are networked, and the better chance they have at finding a rescue who has a foster or adopter.

 

Ten Ways to Help Your Local Shelter or Rescue

1/ Share your love

Tell the world how you feel about your local shelter or rescue by sharing their messages in person and on social media.
2/ Get to know your local shelters and rescue groups

Locate the ones in your area and go visit. They are always looking for people to help walk dogs or clean food dishes or cat cages.
3/ Learn before you leap

Before you adopt, do some research to learn what to expect when adopting a pet. Each breed has their own quirks. The more you know, the less likely you will become frustrated and return your new pet. Understand the challenges and rewards of adopting a pet beforehand they come home.
4/ Say “thanks!”

Take time to say thanks to the people who work at your local shelter or rescues. When you adopt a pet, share pictures and show how well your pet is doing. Rescuers love to see updates! Send a letter, email, or post something on their Facebook page or Website.
5/ Get crafty

Combine fabric, yarn, recyclables, and imagination to bring much-needed fun into the lives of local shelter and rescue pets. There’s no end to the toys you can make. Try braiding strips of fleece into fun for dogs, or cutting and folding a surprising household object into a cat distractor.

Create attention-grabbing “Adopt-Me” vests to spotlight available pets at adoption events held by shelters and rescues.
6/ Become a fan

“like” the individual groups on Facebook.
7/ Make wishes come true

Shelters and rescue groups always need towels, toys, and other supplies. Most have a list on their websites.
8/ Volunteer

Even if you can’t adopt now, volunteer! Do you have experience as a carpenter or electrician?  All types of skills are valuable!
9/ Help at your own home

Make the jobs of shelters and rescues easier: Have the proper ID for your animals (a microchip and ID tags) at all times. Have all of your pets spayed or neutered. Keep your cats indoors, where you can keep them safe, and keep dogs on leashes when off your property.
10/ Help your shelter make positive changes

If you see something – say something. The HSUS’s has published guidelines for addressing that concern in the most effective way.

Reference:
http://www.humanesociety.org/animal_community/resources/tips/help_shelters_rescues.html?credit=web_id473712362