At the start of the pandemic, pet adoption boomed as isolated people sought out companionship. Then came anecdotal stories of new pet owners who found themselves in over their heads, returning or abandoning pets — not stories of a trend, but a myth, according to MSPCA-Angell adoption and program director Mike Keiley.
As the holidays near and some families again consider pet adoption, Keiley joined Boston Public Radio to debunk myths and share tips on how to adopt and gift pets responsibly.
Keiley emphasized that the conventional wisdom against gifting pets is not necessarily accurate, if gifting is done thoughtfully. “We vilified that for so long,” he said.
For families who have discussed adoption, the holidays can be the right time for a new pet as families gather together. “We don't restrict those types of activities, we just want to make sure people put the right thought and the right process around it.”
Keiley said the most important factor is that pets are not gifted to someone who did not ask for one or who is not expecting a pet.
Rather than surprising someone with a pet under the Christmas tree or in a gift box, Keiley suggested wrapping toys and other pet supplies, and then going to pick out an animal together. “That's the absolute best way to do it,” he said.
Keiley explained that blowback against pets as gifts has created a false stigma. He said the conversation tends to bring up the idea that pets adopted during the holidays are more likely to get returned or abandoned. “That's not true," he said. "That's not shown up in the data.”
Similar myths have grown out of stories of people returning bunnies after Easter, abandoning kittens after Christmas or returning puppies during the pandemic. “I think it's more fear and worry on our part that we perpetuated that,” he said. “Small anecdotal evidence is what's driven that conversation. … In fact, intake numbers had been down for good chunks of time, and adoption rates remained higher.”
Still, Keiley mentioned that there are resources available for people who do realize they can no longer care for their animals. “We work so hard, not only to rehome animals, but also to help keep families together by providing important resources, food support and other resources, financial resources, medical resources,” he said. “When someone's struggling to care for their animal, we want to help keep that family together whenever possible,” he said.
Keiley emphasized that despite adoption rates staying high, there are many animals looking for adoption, and that the desire to gift a pet or adopt due to the pandemic should be welcomed rather than shamed, if approached responsibly.
“When people come through our doors to adopt, we welcome them with open arms instead of judging them or distrusting them,” Keiley said.
