About 90% of pets given as gifts end up:
1. in a shelter or rescue
2. abandoned on the streets or in the country
3. hit by cars
4. chained up outside
5. breeding in a puppy/kitten mill
6. dying in a lab testing facility after being sold or given away to the wrong person
If you still want to give a pet as a gift, please consider a second option. Buy all of the accessories you need (collar, leash, toys, treats, food, pooper-scooper, travel kennel, food and water dishes, piddle pads, a pet bed, dog house, etc.), check in to the prices for obedience classes, vaccines, worming medications, a microchip, and a spay/neuter operation. Once you have all of the information and items you need, let the person pick their own pet. That way they get just what they want, and everything is already set up at home for when they bring home their new family member!
In any case, please keep in mind that it is a lifetime commitment to bring home a new pet. Dogs can easily live to be 12-18 years old! Well cared for dogs can live even longer. Are you prepared?
