VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — he Virginia Beach SPCA is seeing high enthusiasm for holiday pet adoptions, but staff warn families to carefully consider their readiness before bringing home a furry friend.
Jennifer Fly, Director of Shelter Operations at the Virginia Beach SPCA, says while the intent behind gift adoptions is good, they can be more complicated than people realize.
"The intent is good there they're wanting to give something that you know that the person receiving is going to love, but giving a gift as a pet can be kind of complicated. We don't recommend it without the other person being aware," Fly said.
Once the holidays end and routines return to normal, the shelter sees a noticeable increase in owner surrender requests from local families who become overwhelmed.
"We will see returns. We will see an increase in our request for owner surrender after the holidays. A lot of that is financial constraints, time management… life goes back to normal. You have to balance school and work and all of those things and you realize that this animal doesn't quite fit into your routine," Fly said.
To help families avoid heartbreak for both people and pets, Fly recommends fostering first as a way to test compatibility.
"I like to say I've been fostering for 20 years. I get to test drive with some amazing animals and decide if they're good fits for my home," Fly said.
Any surge in surrenders creates operational challenges for the Virginia Beach SPCA, which operates at full capacity year-round.
"Any increase in our intake request from your owner surrender from our shelter partners can put a strain on the organization. We operate at full capacity pretty much year-round… our medical team has to have space to accommodate their medical needs, so it does cause a bit of a backlog," Fly said.
A growing issue both nationally and in Hampton Roads is the rise in returns of large-breed dogs and high-energy puppies, especially during the holiday season.
"Right now nationally there's been an increase in returns of large breed dogs overall… especially with our puppies or high drive or large breed animals. I think people don't realize what they're getting into — what type of time commitment they're committing to," Fly said.
To help prevent returns in the community, Fly and her team walk adopters through each animal's specific needs, from health to behavior, ensuring families understand the long-term commitment of pet ownership.
"We do a lot of counseling with them… what medical we've discovered while they've been here at the shelter… what behavioral needs that they have," Fly said.
For families facing temporary financial strain, the SPCA offers support through their pet pantry program before suggesting surrender.
"And then of course, our pet pantry — if it's like, 'I just can't get dog food right now,' we would rather give you the food you need to keep that pet until you're back on your feet… than have to surrender your dog," Fly said.
The Virginia Beach SPCA encourages families who aren't ready to adopt to consider fostering as a way to determine if a pet is the perfect fit for their household.
