CANTON, Ohio — Two playful Pitbull mix puppies, named Dutch and Micah, were recently given as Christmas gifts to two different families.
In both cases, their stay at their new homes didn't last long. Both were surrendered to shelters because the families were not prepared to care for them.
The puppies were rescued by Second Chance for Animals, a Stark County group that has been around for more than 30 years.
Lynda Marshall, who runs Second Chance, said Christmas gifts "gone wrong" involving animals, such as dogs and cats, is a frustrating and predictable problem that starts in the weeks following the holidays and continues for several more months.
"I'm sure every rescue group, shelter, human society, animal control is dealing with this right now. I couldn't even venture to guess how many," Marshall said.
Marshall even vented about the issue by writing on behalf of Dutch on Facebook, "When are you humans going to realize that giving animals as Christmas gifts is almost always a bad idea?"
Angela Hissner and Maggie Tully, who have fostered several animals in the last year, have been taking turns fostering Dutch.
"Dutch was given to us as kind of a Christmas fail. He was gifted to someone for Christmas, but it wasn't a mutual agreement so it didn't work out," Hissner said.
Tully described Dutch as a sweet puppy who loves to play.
"His best quality is he's all about cuddling. His favorite thing to do is sit next to you on the couch and sleep," Tully said.
Some of the problems that pop up when animals are gifted include people not prepared for responsibilities like potty training or the costs associated with caring for them.
"They're not cheap. You have to buy their food. You have to take them to the vet. You have to get them to get spayed or neutered. If they're not, then we're just gonna keep reproducing and there's gonna be more puppies that need homes," Hissner said.
Marshall suggested making sure everyone in a family is on board before a pet is given as a present for any occasion. She said another idea is creating a gift certificate that would cover the cost of an animal adoption when a family is ready.
"We feel whoever will be caring for that animal its whole life should be the family or person who selects their animal and not have someone else select the animal for them," Marshall said.
In the meantime, Dutch and Micah are among several animals ready for adoption through the Facebook page for Second Chance for Animals.
Both puppies have been neutered and received their first shots and flea protection.
The cost to adopt a dog through the rescue group is $120. It's $80 to adopt a cat. For more information on the group, click here.
