寵物為什么會被退回的真相

寵物為什么會被退回的真相

Oh, the joy of the holidays, with the possibility of a squirming puppy or fluffy kitten waiting under the Christmas tree. But what happens when house training gets frustrating or an eager child gets bored with his new furry friend?

哦，節(jié)日的快樂，還有可能是一只蠕動的小狗或毛茸茸的小貓在圣誕樹下等待。但是，當(dāng)家庭訓(xùn)練變得令人沮喪，或者孩子對他的新寵物感到厭煩時，會發(fā)生什么呢?

Nobody wants to see a pet come back to the shelter after an adoption, least of all animal advocates. Several groups have done their homework on this issue, with surprising results. (Photo: David Porras/Shutterstock)

There's a long-standing belief that pets given as gifts often end up in shelters several weeks later. In fact, this belief is so prevalent that some rescue groups discourage such "gift" adoptions, especially around the holidays.

人們一直認(rèn)為，作為禮物贈送的寵物通常會在幾周后被送到收容所。事實上，這種想法非常普遍，以至于一些救援組織不鼓勵這種“禮物”收養(yǎng)，尤其是在節(jié)日前后。

What the studies say

研究表明

That kitten under the tree could turn out to be a long-time, happy member of the family, say studies. (Photo: ANURAK PONGPATIMET/Shutterstock)

A study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association looked at the risk factors that made a dog more likely to be relinquished to an animal shelter. It found that dogs received as gifts were much less likely to be relinquished than dogs purchased or adopted by the owner directly.

發(fā)表在《美國獸醫(yī)醫(yī)學(xué)協(xié)會雜志》上的一項研究著眼于使狗更有可能被送到動物收容所的風(fēng)險因素。研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，與主人直接購買或收養(yǎng)的狗相比，作為禮物接受的狗更不容易放棄。

The study also found that about three-quarters of the people who received a pet as a gift were OK that it was a surprise and said receiving the animal as a gift increased their sense of attachment.

研究還發(fā)現(xiàn)，收到寵物禮物的人中，約有四分之三認(rèn)為這是一個驚喜，并表示收到寵物禮物增加了他們的依戀感。

Earlier studies looked at why pets were relinquished to shelters and found that the majority of pets that were returned had come from shelters, breeders or friends. The odds of the pet being returned were much lower when it was a gift.

早期的研究調(diào)查了為什么寵物會被送到收容所，結(jié)果發(fā)現(xiàn)大部分被送回的寵物都來自收容所、飼養(yǎng)者或朋友。當(dāng)寵物是禮物時，它被歸還的幾率要低得多。

What some rescue groups say

一些救援組織是怎么說的

Some rescue groups won't allow any pet adoptions as gifts, except to family members. (Photo: ngorkapong/Shutterstock)

Most rescue groups and shelters still aren't fans of giving a pet as a surprise gift unless it's parents who want to surprise their kids. In that case, the parents typically understand that a family commitment will be necessary.

大多數(shù)救援組織和避難所仍然不喜歡把寵物作為驚喜禮物，除非它的父母想給他們的孩子一個驚喜。在這種情況下，父母通常理解家庭承諾是必要的。

However, at FurKids, an Atlanta-based rescue group, the holidays have been a successful time for long-lasting pet adoptions, says founder and CEO Samantha Shelton.

然而，亞特蘭大救援組織FurKids的創(chuàng)始人兼首席執(zhí)行官薩曼塔•謝爾頓表示，對于長期收養(yǎng)寵物來說，假期是一個成功的時機(jī)。

However, the group also follows the family-only rule for surprise adoptions.

然而，該組織也遵循了只允許家庭成員意外收養(yǎng)的規(guī)定。

The keys to successful adoption

成功收養(yǎng)的關(guān)鍵

Instead of surprising someone with a pet, take them with you to help choose one. The gift will still be special. (Photo: Mila Supinskaya Glashchenko/Shutterstock)

Giving a pet as a gift may not be such a terrible idea after all, but for any animal adoption, there are still plenty of things to consider before you go find the perfect bow.

送寵物作為禮物也許并不是一個糟糕的主意，但是對于任何收養(yǎng)動物的人來說，在你找到完美的弓之前，仍然有很多事情要考慮。

Even better, give the recipient a collar and pet supplies and let them pick out the pet with you.

更好的是，給收信人一個項圈和寵物用品，讓他們和你一起挑選寵物。

While some groups have embraced holiday pets, the animal welfare community is still divided, Weiss says.

韋斯說，雖然一些團(tuán)體已經(jīng)接受了假日寵物，但動物福利團(tuán)體仍然存在分歧。

"Sheltering organization and rescue groups work independently and all have their own opinions, so it takes a long time to change their behavior," she says.

她說:“避難組織和救援組織是獨立工作的，他們都有自己的觀點，所以改變他們的行為需要很長時間。”

Various studies estimate that somewhere between 6-13% of pets eventually end up leaving their homes.

各種研究估計，大約有6-13%的寵物最終會離開家。

"Sometimes, no matter where a pet is obtained, it doesn't work out. It could be mismatched expectations happens in a person's life," Weiss says. "That's the reality."

“有時候，不管從哪里得到寵物，都不會成功。它可能是發(fā)生在一個人生活中的不匹配的期望，”Weiss說。“這就是現(xiàn)實。”