It seems like a great idea.  The kids awake on Christmas morning to find a cute and cuddly puppy, kitty or bunny under the tree or an iguana or hedgehog waiting in a cage.

Unfortunately, according to Corina Balon-Cooke of the Wildrose Humane Society in Didsbury, after the initial excitement, it could turn into a bad idea for your family and for the pet.

Every year animals that have been given as pets get taken back to shelters, or even worse, released into the wild because the excitement fades after the holidays and people realize that taking care of an animal is a long-term commitment.

"Everybody's quite well intentioned this time of year to give their family or friends a pet.  That is great but never give it as a surprise.  Most people are very particular about what kind of pet they're looking for.  Instead of giving the actual animal as a gift we suggest maybe they pick up a gift certificate from their local shelter and allow the recipient to go back after the excitement of the holidays have settled down and pick the animal of their choice."

Balon-Cooke says if you really want something to wrap up there are options.  "If they want a cat or a dog consider leashes, food dishes, other wrappable items for them to unwrap."

The novelty of having a pet can wear off very quickly once people realize that, now, they have an animal that could conceivably live for a couple of decades.

"Long after the tree's been put away the pet then becomes forgotten.  Kids tend to think of the pet as an object like the rest of their toys and don't realize it's a living, breathing animal that needs lots of time and attention and care, in some cases for decades.  Sometimes kids just don't have the attention span for that."

Questions, comments or story ideas? Email us at news@discoverairdrie.com