Pet adoptions are very popular during the holiday season ... with many people looking for the perfect cat or dog to give to a loved one. But it's important you know that person will be able to really care for their animal.
Staff at the Quincy Humane Society say these next few weeks will see an increase in owners returning their animals or simply abandoning them.
Lindsey Klobe says she doesn't recommend pets as gifts because not everyone understands it's a commitment for the animal's lifetime.
A dog's lifetime can span 10-15 years while a cat can live 20 years.
"When you receive an animal as a gift, that's not always something that comes across. So, we always hesitate a little bit when people say they want to gift an animal for somebody. We just try our best to make them understand that it's a commitment," Klobe said.
The Quincy Humane Society adopts out more than 1,200 animals a year.
Lindsey Klobe says the portion of returns is a small percentage of that.
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forKHQA