Pets are not presents – A message from local animal shelters

BLACKFOOT, Idaho (KIFI) - In the past week, 11 puppies have been surrendered to the Blackfoot Animal Shelter.

As a result, our local animal shelters are reaching out to the community with the message, "Pets are not Presents."

Christmas time comes with repeated problems for our local pet and animal shelters. With people often adopting or buying dogs or puppies then abandoning them years if not months later, according to shelter directors.

Local shelters have had to be extremely careful on who they adopt out to this time of year.

"We still do adopt out puppies during Christmas season," Blackfoot Animal Rescue volunteer Kamryn Husbey said. "We just try to be really careful about who is adopting puppies, making sure that we think it's going to be a good fit and a forever fit. Not just a couple of years commitment and then the dog ends up here."

Erika Sinner, author of the upcoming Pets aren't Presents, told Local News 8 pets should become a member of your family. Sinner changed her career path from CEO to author after the death of one of her own dogs.

She said any potential owner is signing up for a 10 to 15 year commitment.

"That's a big responsibility that you're giving to someone, to anyone, even if it's your own family," Sinner said. "If you end up a couple of months later deciding, 'Gosh, this doesn't work, or we can't take care of them.' If you have kids, you're going to have to explain to your kids why you're taking a part of their family back. But also, I think for that pet, you know, they they have their own feelings and their own, you know, their little soul."

Despite shelter directors best efforts, the animal rescue is still filled to capacity. Husebey said the packed kennels can be terrible for the dogs.

"They call it kennel crazy because there's so many of them in such a tight area," Husebey said. "It causes a lot of stress. And we have to make sure that we keep everything very, very clean so that the dogs don't get sick."

Shelter directors tell us the main culprits in overcrowding are irresponsible pet owners and unethical breeders which is why they're asking to really think about it before they add a lifetime member to their family.