Forget the surprise if you’re thinking of giving a pet as a holiday present

By LEANNE ITALIE
AP Lifestyles Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Giving a pet as a surprise gift at the holidays isn’t generally recommended. But offering one after a little planning can enrich the lives of animals and humans alike. Animal shelters and rescue groups around the country say they’re experiencing crisis-level numbers of animals. But they recommend having the gift recipient be part of the process of adopting a pet. More shelters have turned to giving Santa-adorned gift certificates worthy of Christmas Day. They also suggest wrapping up all the supplies a pet will need and then let recipients choose their own animals at a later date. If a particular animal is already involved, some shelters will dispatch staff or trained volunteers to deliver, answer questions and facilitate the settling-in process.