A few days before Christmas and the school holidays, the Animal Protection Association located in Gerzat near Clermont-Ferrand wishes to raise awareness among the general public. Animals are not gifts and adoption must remain a thoughtful act.
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At the APA (Animal Protection Association) in Clermont-Ferrand, 180 felines have been abandoned since November and 80 dogs have been brought to the kennel. Céline Phillipe, veterinary assistant and animal caregiver, presents two new arrivals: “We have Aya, a 12-year-old female who arrived at the kennel following the death of her owner. It was the pound that got it. He is a border cross, very sociable, very cuddly, who has certain educational bases and who accepts other dogs very well. Loto was found wandering on the public highway with his little lame paw. X-rays were taken and he reportedly had a fractured elbow. He will have surgery tomorrow by a veterinarian. He will then be offered for adoption. Injured dogs are not very common, but we do have them. Owner deaths happen all the time unfortunately. »
These little companions could well be the object of desire, less than 10 days before Christmas: “We have a lot of requests to give a gift to a family member. We don’t always accept. An animal is a commitment over many years. Loto could be a dog that everyone wants, even if he risks having after-effects of his leg injury such as osteoarthritis. Aya, she’s getting old. It’s going to be more complicated to get her adopted. »
In this shelter, there is fear of a new wave of abandonments a few days before the school holidays. With Christmas, the temptation to give an animal is strong. But adoption must be a thoughtful act. “People, mainly during the holiday season, come to adopt a cat for someone else. These are either surprises or gifts. We are afraid that people won’t want them, that things will go wrong with them and that they will bring them back to us for abandonment. A cat is not a toy, it is not a stuffed animal. It’s for life. Adoption must be a thoughtful act, it’s not done like that,” alert Léa Meilleroux, cattery caretaker. “We have more abandonments in the winter, after the holiday periods. »
And it is not Béatrice Lepage who will say the opposite. She lost her cat 7 months ago. For her, it is essential that adopters come to meet their future companion. “I met Ozzie, a tabby cat who I liked because he looks like the one I lost but unfortunately, he doesn’t like me…I seem to interest other cats, so I’m going to think about it . I lost my cat, so I miss it. You have to have a crush, but it has to be mutual. We still have to get along. We live together. The first time I adopted, I had to bring him back because we didn’t get along so I know very well that an animal is not a Christmas present, it’s like a child. »
Some 100 dogs and 70 cats live together at the animal protection association. Paradoxically, the end of year holidays represent the right time to adopt. Ramon Ferrer, president of the APA, explains : “Christmas is not a celebration of great departure. It’s not the summer abandonments, or even the abandonments of skiing in February. It’s a good time to adopt because we’re at home, we have the children, we have the family. We can take the time together to integrate the animal, to see how it behaves and begin the basics of education, to keep it throughout its life. No gift animal but come adopt anyway! We can take our time slowly. » Before making this decision, it is important to take into account the expenses which can be significant. For a pet, this can reach up to 1,000 euros per year.
