Christmas plus forever homes for rescued puppies equals a whole lot of cuteness and love going on. That was the idea behind the Kansas Humane Society’s unusual decision to play Santa Claus by delivering kittens, dogs, cats, and puppies on Christmas Day . How much do these volunteers want to see the homeless pets go to families? They’re even dressing up as elves, reported KSN News .
Calling it “Home for the Holidays,” the adoption program didn’t lack for volunteers, said Kansas Humane Society staffer Melissa Houston.
“Really excited about seeing how this goes, how the kids receive the dogs. We don’t always get to see that arrival at the house, and that excitement that everyone at home gets to see. So, that will be fun for our staff of volunteers.”
The idea of giving pets as Christmas gifts only recently received approval from rescue groups such as the Kansas Humane Society. But now, they feel that when parents receive advice on how to incorporate the new pet into the home, it can become a memorable holiday for everyone.
In a scientific study, pet experts found that 96 percent of the people who received dogs and cats as gifts felt that they were either more in love with or equally attached to their pet as if they had adopted on their own, reported the ASPCA. Moreover, 86 percent of the pets were still with the recipients, which is the same percentage as those who complete routine pet adoptions.
Just how joyful are people who receive a puppy on Christmas morning? Watch below to find out.
http://youtu.be/gL7l_N6JTFw
In their study published in Animals , the animal behaviorists emphasized that receiving a pet as a gift, when carefully done, can even enhance the appreciation. They noted that some pet shelters, however, do not recommend it.
“Policies that state pets should not be adopted as gifts are prevalent at animal welfare organizations, despite the fact that this belief is unfounded. Denying adopters who intend to give the animals as gifts may unnecessarily impede the overarching goal of increasing adoptions of pets from our nations’ shelter system.”
“We found that receiving a dog or cat as a gift was not associated with impact on self-perceived love/attachment, or whether the dog or cat was still in the home. These results suggest there is no increased risk of relinquishment for dogs and cats received as a gift.”
The Kansas Humane Society isn’t the only rescue group hoping to find rescued puppies homes for the holidays as the Inquisitr reported.
Teresa Paradis, executive director of Live and Let Live Farm in Chichester, specializes in pregnant dogs, with some arriving from Georgia, Texas, and North Carolina to be treated. And she’s never had so many puppies in need of families to love them.
The newest batches of puppies are posted on her Facebook page . Paradis also has dog mommies who are now spayed and longing for love.
And for those wondering about cats and kittens as gifts? As the video below shows, recipients are purr-fectly thrilled to discover a meowing feline under that holiday tree.
[Images Via Facebook.com/LiveAndLetLiveFarmRescuePenniesPuppies]
