With the holiday season around the corner, the Regina Humane Society
is warning people that buying pets as gifts may not always lead to a happy
ending.
“The holidays are always a good time for people looking for pets,
and what we discourage is surprising somebody with a pet,” said Don Simons from
the Regina Humane Society.
The organization held its holiday fundraiser on the first Sunday of
December. All day, pet lovers came in to take a look at potential new pets.
Todd McCubbin adopted a pet from the humane society 12 years ago.
“We knew we wanted a dog. When we came down here and we looked, we
found him right away. He was just one of those dogs where he jumped into my lap
and he said, ‘you’re taking me home,’ ” McCubbin said.
He’s thinking of getting another dog, but only when he and his family
are ready.
“You have to be ready for it. You have to have bedding, you have
to have food, you have to have commitment, you have to have time,” McCubbin
said.
Every year, the humane society sees pets returned after they didn’t
work out with their owner. That’s why there’s a procedure in place for people
wanting to adopt.
It involves a questionnaire to assess compatibility, a meet and
greet with the potential new pet, and an application.
“What we look for in a
family that’s looking for a pet is, of course, somebody who, they not only want
that animal, but they have the ability to take care of that animal,” Simons
said.
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