It’s that time of year when animal shelters steel themselves for a spike in animal abandonment – a distressing problem often compounded by a drop in donations and a heightened emotional toll on staff.

‘Sadly, pets are abandoned far more frequently during the holiday season,” said Faustina Gardner, managing director of the Domestic Animal Rescue Group (Darg), an animal shelter in Hout Bay. 

Over the Christmas holidays pet abandonment often escalates and in some cases doubles or triples, said Caron Burger, founder of the Grace Animal Sanctuary.

‘Not gifts’

In December there is often a spike in pet adoptions, but come January, many of these animals are returned, said Burger.

Intended as Christmas gifts, this often leads to higher rates of abandonment once the holiday excitement is gone, according to Deidre Daniels, public relations officer for Four Paws in South Africa. 

Older dogs and cats are often abandoned because there is a focus on getting a new puppy or kitten for the children.

The animals are often abandoned when the holidays are over because people do not consider the responsibilities that owning an animal entails, she added.

For example, Gardner explained, puppies need extensive house training and must be monitored to avoid destructive behaviour. 

“We hear of so many cases where the gifted pet was surrendered to a shelter because it was ‘too much work’.”

Older dogs and cats were often abandoned because there was a focus on getting a new puppy or kitten for the children. “Children often want a new pet and the parents acquiesce and the family loses interest in the adult dogs or cats.”

Burger stressed that “pets are not gifts to be given over holidays; animals are a 10- to 15-year commitment”. 

Pets left behind

Then there are pets that are left at home while the family goes away on holiday, thinking the animal will be okay when they return.

It’s a common misconception that pets can manage on their own, said Gardner, adding that many people believe pets are independent and can be left with enough food and water, requiring only occasional check-ins by friends or neighbours. 

“When owners leave their pet with enough food for a week, they expect the pet to understand they must only eat a day’s portion so the food lasts for the time they are away. The tragic outcome is the pet starves due to having eaten the food within the first few days.”

A pet is similar to a young child and should not be left unsupervised for extended periods of time, added Gardner. “Leaving an animal behind when one goes on vacation is abandonment.” 

Other families understand that animals cannot be left alone, but are either unable or unwilling to pay for pet sitters or kennels, said Burger. 

Many pet owners living in informal settlements go on holiday and leave their animals at the shelter, but it is often never picked up because they do not want the pet anymore, added Gardner. 

Strain on shelters

The increase in abandonment during the festive season puts a strain on many animal shelters. For this reason the Dassenberg Rescue Centre tries to ensure there are a couple of empty kennels over the festive season, said Mayanna Muter, the centre’s founder. 

However, without space or money, most shelters often have no way to prepare for the spike, so they have the heartbreaking task of turning away animals, said Burger. 

And the increase in abandonments takes an emotional toll on shelter staff, said Cindy Washington, a volunteer at Capetonians Against Animal Abuse. 

“You see these cats that come here, they are petrified. It takes them about two weeks, especially the older ones, to settle in and to be more comfortable,” she added. 

We need to instil the understanding that your pet is your responsibility, not only morally, but also in terms of the law.

So, a simple “thank you for the work you do” can often help keep up their morale, said Gardner. 

On top of that, she added, at this time of year “financial support dwindles, given individuals are purchasing gifts, planning vacations and parties”. This had a huge impact if they relied on donations.

Teaching responsible pet care

Pet abandonment often stems from situations that could have been prevented with guidance and understanding, including education about animal welfare and instilling awareness about pet abandonment in young people, said Gardner. 

“We live in an economic climate that dictates the need for public awareness of the countless cases of suffering we shelters are dealing with nationwide.”

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The Dassenberg Rescue Centre takes dogs to schools to teach pupils that “animals are sentient beings and have feelings just like ourselves”, said Muter.

They teach children how to handle dogs correctly, how to groom them and the importance of training them or hiring behaviourists to help with problems.

The National Council of Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA) has festive season campaigns that emphasise that animals are not gifts but lifelong commitments, said Jacques Peacock, the public relations and legal liaison for the NSPCA. 

“We need to instil the understanding that your pet is your responsibility, not only morally, but also in terms of the law,” he added. DM