Giving a Pet as a Christmas Gift: Good Idea or Mistake?

Last updated: December 2025

Is giving a pet as a Christmas gift a bad idea?

For decades, the standard advice was simple: never give a pet as a present. Many shelters even refused adoptions when they knew the animal was meant as a gift. The worry was that a puppy under the tree would end up back at the shelter by February.

The research does not back that up. In 2013, the ASPCA added questions to a national phone survey of 1,006 US adults. Of those, 222 said they had received a dog or cat as a gift in the past ten years or so. The researchers, led by Dr. Emily Weiss, found that receiving a pet as a gift had no significant link to how attached people felt to the animal, or to whether the pet was still in the home. Only seven of the 222 said the gift had lowered their attachment.

The ASPCA reported that 96% of gift recipients said getting the pet as a gift either increased their love for it or made no difference. Whether the gift was a surprise or planned with the recipient did not change attachment either. Older studies from the 1990s and 2000, which the ASPCA cites, found gifted pets were actually less likely to be given up than pets people picked out for themselves.

“This has been a very controversial topic for the public and the sheltering world alike, but we’re hoping to put an end to this misconception before the holiday season.”

Dr. Emily Weiss, Vice President of Shelter Research & Development, ASPCA

The study has limits. It was a small cross-sectional survey, attachment was self-reported, and it did not measure how long each pet stayed. So the honest takeaway is this: a pet given as a gift is not doomed. The gift itself is rarely the problem. A poor match, a bad source or a bad plan is.

Where did “a dog is for life, not just for Christmas” come from?

The phrase most people quote when this topic comes up is a British one. Dogs Trust, the UK dog welfare charity, created the slogan “A dog is for life, not just for Christmas” in 1978, when it was still called the National Canine Defence League.

The line was written by Clarissa Baldwin, then the charity’s head of public relations, who later became its chief executive. In a 2013 interview with Good Housekeeping UK, she said the charity estimated at the time that about 20% of dogs were given as Christmas gifts, and that it believed the figure had since fallen to about 2%. Dogs Trust’s own account of the slogan’s origin describes puppies being bought on a whim and then abandoned, much like other unwanted presents.

It is worth noticing what the slogan actually says. It does not say a dog can never arrive at Christmas. It says the commitment lasts far longer than the holiday. Baldwin made the same point in that interview: a dog is not an appropriate gift unless the recipient really wants one and the giver has done their homework.

That lines up neatly with the ASPCA’s current position. The ASPCA recommends giving pets as gifts only to people who have shown a sustained interest in owning one and who have the ability to care for it responsibly. It also recommends getting the pet from a shelter, rescue, friend, family member or responsible breeder, not from a source you cannot verify.

So the old slogan and the newer research are not really in conflict. Both point to the same rule: the person matters more than the date on the calendar.

How much does a new puppy or kitten cost in the first year?

This is the part of the gift nobody wraps. The ASPCA’s cost breakdown, last updated in 2021, puts the first year of owning a dog at about $3,221 and a cat at about $1,904. After that, ongoing care runs about $1,391 a year for a dog and about $1,149 for a cat. Prices for vet care and supplies have generally gone up since 2021, so treat these as a floor, not a ceiling.

The full ASPCA list also includes smaller items like toys, treats, a license, grooming tools and supplies, which is why the rows above do not add up exactly to the totals. It does not include emergencies, which can cost far more than a whole year of routine care.

For a wider look at what US households spend on their animals, see our roundup of pet ownership statistics.

How do you give a pet as a gift the right way?

The research says gifted pets do fine. The common thread in the ASPCA’s position is that the recipient was ready. Here is how to set the gift up so it works.

Make sure they actually want a pet

The ASPCA’s advice is to give a pet only to someone who has shown a sustained interest in owning one. That means more than once saying a puppy on social media was cute. Listen for repeated, specific talk about wanting a dog or cat, and about the kind of life they would share with it. If you are not sure, you are not ready to surprise them.

Bring them in on the choice

In the ASPCA survey, a surprise did not hurt attachment. But it is still the riskier version. Even people who love animals have strong opinions about size, energy level, age, coat and temperament. A high-energy puppy is a very different gift for a retiree in an apartment than for a family with a fenced yard. The safest plan is to give the promise of a pet and let the recipient pick the animal.

Wrap a starter kit instead of an animal

A wrapped box on Christmas morning keeps the fun of the reveal without putting a nervous animal in the middle of the noise. Fill it with a leash or carrier, food and water bowls, a toy, a book on training, and a note saying “we are going to pick your dog together” or “your kitten fund.” Then plan a shelter visit together in the days or weeks after the holiday.

Check the household, not just the person

If the pet is for a child, the ASPCA says that when the recipient is under 12, the parents should be ready and eager to take on the animal’s care. If the pet is for an adult who rents, check the lease and any pet deposit first. If others live in the home, make sure they are on board.

Pick a calm week for the arrival

The ASPCA also notes that the recipient’s schedule should be free enough to help the pet settle in, especially during the holidays. Christmas Day brings guests, travel, loud wrapping paper, rich food on low tables and decorations a puppy will want to chew. Many families find it easier to bring a new pet home before the visitors arrive, or after New Year’s when the house is quiet and the routine is back.

Choose a source you can verify

The ASPCA recommends shelters, rescue groups, friends, family or responsible breeders. Avoid sellers you cannot visit or video call, and avoid any listing that asks for payment before you have seen the animal live. A real shelter or breeder will be happy to answer questions, share health records and talk through whether the match is right.

Cover the first costs if you can

The adoption fee is a small part of the bill. A meaningful add-on is paying for the first vet visit, the spay or neuter if it has not been done, a few months of food or a training class. That turns a surprise expense into an actual gift.

Plan the first month, not just the first day

The first few weeks set the tone: house training, a vet check, a feeding routine, safe spaces, and slow introductions to other pets. Our guide to what to do in the first 30 days after adopting a pet walks through it week by week, and it makes a thoughtful printout to tuck inside the gift box.

What should go in a pet starter kit gift?

A starter kit is the best way to give a pet at Christmas without the pet being in the room. It says “this is happening” and lets the recipient choose. Our full new puppy checklist and new kitten checklist cover everything, but these are the items that wrap well:

• A leash and adjustable collar or harness for a dog, or a sturdy carrier for a cat.
• Food and water bowls, ideally stainless steel or ceramic.
• A bed or soft blanket that can go in the crate or carrier on the ride home.
• One or two safe toys sized for a young animal.
• A gift card or note covering the adoption fee or a first vet visit.
• An ID tag plan. The pet will need ID the day it comes home, so include a note promising a personalized tag once the name is chosen.

For more ideas that work for a dog or cat already in the family, browse our best Christmas gifts for dogs and best Christmas gifts for cats.

A fun add-on is a cartoon of the new pet. The free Lohji app, by Shiloh’s House, turns one photo of a pet into a 3D animated-movie-style cartoon character called a Lohji. Once the pet is home, the recipient can make wallpapers, watch faces, 4K collector cards and seasonal iMessage stickers, including Christmas designs. There are no ads, and new accounts get 10 free Lohji Coins. Get it on the App Store or Google Play. Our list of personalized gifts for pet lovers has more ideas starring the pet itself.

Is it better to adopt before or after Christmas?

Either can work. The right answer depends on the household’s December, not on the pet.

Adopting in early December gives the pet a couple of weeks to settle before guests arrive, and many shelters run holiday adoption drives then. The biggest in the US is BISSELL Pet Foundation’s Empty the Shelters event. During its Holiday Hope edition, running December 1 to 15, 2025, participating shelters and rescues across the country offer reduced adoption fees. BISSELL says adopters in its events pay no more than $70 for a pet that is spayed or neutered, vaccinated and microchipped. Fees vary by shelter. One California shelter, for example, listed $20 for cats and $50 for dogs.

Waiting until after the holidays has its own advantages. The house is calmer, the routine is back, and no one is leaving for a trip two days after the pet arrives. Shelters still have plenty of animals in January.

What usually does not work well is placing a brand-new animal into the middle of Christmas Day. Our guide to Christmas pet safety covers the tree, toxic plants, food and guests, all of which are harder to manage with a pet who does not know the house yet.

How do you avoid puppy scams and puppy mills at Christmas?

December is prime time for pet fraud. The Better Business Bureau says that since the start of 2022, December and January have brought in the most reports of scams involving pet purchases. Its Scam Tracker logged 2,899 online pet scam reports in 2023, 2,278 in 2024 and 1,632 in 2025 through September, with a median loss of $600 so far in 2025. The real numbers are likely far higher, because the BBB notes that only a small share of fraud victims ever report it.

The pattern is familiar. A scammer posts stolen photos of a popular breed, such as a French bulldog or dachshund, at an attractive price. Once the buyer pays, new charges appear for vaccinations, a special climate-controlled crate or airline fees. The BBB found that more than half of pet scams start on a website found through a search engine or social media, and its earlier study warned that a large share of sponsored pet ads may be fake.

A few habits protect you:

• Run a reverse image search on the pet’s photo. If it shows up on other sites, it is likely stolen.
• Research the normal price for the breed. A deal that looks too good usually is.
• Visit in person and ask to see the mother and the living conditions.
• Prefer a local shelter or rescue, where you can meet the animal before you pay.

The same steps help you avoid puppy mills, which the ASPCA notes often supply pet stores. A seller who will not let you see where the animals live is a red flag either way.

Is the person you have in mind ready for a pet?

Before you commit, run through this checklist. If you cannot answer yes to most of these, give a starter kit and a promise instead, or a gift for a pet they already have.

• They have said, more than once, that they want a dog or cat.
• They have time each day for feeding, walks or play, and training.
• Their home allows pets, and everyone who lives there agrees.
• They can budget about $1,000 or more a year for ongoing care, plus emergencies.
• They have a plan for travel, long workdays and vet visits.
• If it is for a child, the parents want the pet and will do the care.
• They will be home and calm enough to help the pet settle in.
• The pet is coming from a shelter, rescue or breeder you can visit.

If the answer is a clear yes across the board, a pet can be one of the most meaningful gifts you ever give. Plenty of families can point to a dog or cat that arrived at the holidays and stayed for a lifetime. The ASPCA data suggests those stories are common, not lucky exceptions.

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