San Martin – The holidays are tough on pets. Their owners travel
a lot, there are a lot of strangers around and for some reason, the
season inspires people to show their animals the door.
San Martin – The holidays are tough on pets. Their owners travel a lot, there are a lot of strangers around and for some reason, the season inspires people to show their animals the door.
“We get many bizarre stories,” said Christine Benninger, president of Humane Society Silicon Valley. “The standard story is that people are traveling and can’t find boarding room. We hear that one a lot.”
Shelters around the county report the same phenomenon. Sue Padgett, shelter clerk at the Friends of San Martin Animal Shelter, said there are many reasons for holiday surrenders. In addition to travel and company, she said, shorter days and the wet, muddy weather of winter can take the fun out of owning a dog.
“It’s an especially difficult time of year for the staff,” Padgett said. “We have more surrenders and so many people coming in are looking for puppies and kittens. It tells you how disposable companion animals are in our society.”
The San Martin shelter is very overcrowded. There are about 60 dogs crammed into 24 kennels and about 100 cats in a space meant for 80. On top of that, the shelter relies on foster care for kittens and animals too sick to be in the general population.
Benninger said the holiday season is a good time for people to adopt.
“Many people have more free time in December,” she said. “It’s great time to bring new animals into the home because you’re going to be home.”
But it’s also a difficult time of the year to adopt, and shelters don’t allow people to pick up animals as gifts unless the recipient is present.
“Much like you wouldn’t want your parents to pick out your wife, we don’t do adoptions as gifts,” Benninger said.
