I've already seen several posts on my local CL of people rehoming dogs/puppies due to the fact that someone gave them as a gift and they don't have the time/money to care for a dog.

The shelters will likely be inundated with dogs in the several months following Christmas.

This holiday season, remind people that it is NOT a good idea to give someone a dog or puppy for Christmas. If you think someone is truly committed to having a dog, instead give them a gift certificate to their local shelter/rescue. Then they can go find the dog that best suits their lifestyle and family.

It will be just the same here in the UK. Last week I dropped off some dog coats I had made for our local shelter and they asked could I possibly make some small ones for all the pups they will get in during January. So sad that these pups are going to get disgarded along with all the wrapping paper.

pets make such bad gifts, especially puppies, unless the new pet is a family decision..unfortunately not enough people take the time to research and make a commitment to the pet.

I feel so bad for all those babies that will be the "perfect" gift only to be discarded after the holidays

About an hour after I posted on CL about not getting puppies for Christmas, a greeder posted an ad: "Chihuahua puppies for Christmas!"

I've been busily flagging all CL ads that say puppy for Christmas. Our shelter is preparing for a large number of new dogs in Jan/Feb too.

We do not do late December adoptions except for people who have adopted from us previously and are in good standing. Exceptions can be made on a case-by-case basis but in general we just simply do not do it. If an exception is made we make them wait until after the Christmas day hustle and bustle is over.

Our local shelter has been telling everybody if they want purebred puppies come in around mid-to-late January. They always have a huge selection.

I have been flagging all of the BYB Christmas ads as well. I saw (in horror!) that somebody managed to procure 2 intact Borzoi and bred a Christmas "oops" litter. Sighthounds (with the notable exception of Italian Greyhounds) are rarely BYB (some are in puppy mills and there are BYB but they are few in number comparatively) so I was busy e-mailing all of my contacts to see how this happened. The ad is down and has stayed down but I saw that they just went to Kiiji.

Our local paper ran a nice article on why it wasn't a good idea to get pets for Christmas presents. They suggested that instead you should get all the pet supplies (food, crate, collar, leash, etc) and wrap them and put them under the tree, then go as a family to pick out the new family member. I thought it was a nice solution.

also i was told that you can get pet adoption certificates. so that the person can go pick out their own pet!

What a lovely gift that would be for a child (or your elder relative that could use a companion animal) - to give them all the supplies, perhaps a book on the care of that particular animal and a certificate to cover adoption and first vet visit fees with the promise to go help them pick out the perfect shelter animal once the holiday season is over. That would really show your child especially that pet ownership is about responsibility and planning - not just some living toy you can toss away when you get bored with it.

Erica, our local paper ran an article on why the timing wasn't right to give a puppy at Christmas either. I was impressed.

That's a good part of the reason why I was so determined to get these pups out of the shelter. I knew Christmas was coming, they're cute and fluffy and pretty and I was just certain someone would snatch the 3 left and give them all as gifts. I wanted good homes for breed mixes like this, not a seasonal home. Plus the cold, cement, loud kennels are no place for young puppies this time of year. It's very sad that this trend of puppies for Christmas affects the pups so badly after the holidays.

The latest fad her is a £1000 micro pig. They grow about the size of a large cat.
needless to say since they were on TV every kid wants one..