Animal shelters enforce rules to protect pets

Although rescuing an animal to give as a gift seems innocent enough, many LOCAL animal shelters WORK TO prevent just that.

By Amara Tiebout

Although the puppy under the Christmas tree is an iconic image of American gift giving, most NoVA animal shelters, including SPCA of NoVA, the Fairfax Humane Society, A Forever Home Rescue Foundation and the Dachshund Rescue of North America, highly discourage the idea and refuse to adopt out pets as potential presents.

“The holidays are a very stressful time for most people, and it really isn’t a good time to incorporate a pet,” Jane Lantz, of the Dachshund Rescue in Manassas, says. “We want every adoption to be well-thought out.”

Carol Relkin, of Fairfax Humane Society, likens a pet adoption to a marriage, and doesn’t believe an animal should be given to someone who didn’t select it for themselves. And Maribel Taylor-Mattox, of A Forever Home in Chantilly, concurs, saying: “The last thing we want for our [pets] is to be bounced from home to home. Or worse, live in a home where they’re not wanted.”

Mattox has noticed an increase in animal give-ups as a result of economical and financial distress. According to Mattox, recent legislation passed in Virginia and Pennsylvania has resulted in various backyard breeders and puppy mills to be shut down. The new laws and stricter enforcement requires breeders to be licensed and maintain clean conditions for their animals.