Pet shop owner: don’t buy pets as presents this Christmas

A Bunbury pet store owner is urging Christmas shoppers to not buy pets as presents to avoid high dumping rates in the new year. South West pets owner Peter Tom made the decision 20 years ago to stop stocking pets in the lead-up to Christmas to make it more difficult for shoppers to purchase them as a last-minute decision. The store will also next week reach a significant milestone, finding new homes for 100 foster cats through The Cat Haven. “People have bought animals as Christmas presents with very little thought, so we have taken the view that if they’re not here, the option is taken away from people,” he said. “We don’t want to be part of selling animals in the lead-up to Christmas. “Many years ago I had a gentleman come in on Christmas Eve wanting to buy an animal, but he didn’t care what he bought, he just wanted an animal to give his daughter.” Mr Tom said people should take time to consider how they can best accommodate and care for an animal. “Prior to purchasing a pet at any time, go away and have a long hard think about the responsibility that a pet requires,” he said. Mr Tom was proud of his business’ involvement in the Cat Haven adoption program, another step towards providing caring environments for animals. “Our number is 97 and we are getting three cats in which will sneak us up to the 100 mark,” he said. “The best part is we are not going to be a part of increasing the number of kittens or cats in the community, we are adopting them out so we have less and less. “They are only spending, at most, 24 hours, and with a kitten it is probably six hours. “We are very pleased to be able to support the Cat Haven.”