Dubai: Christmas just may be the worst time of year to buy a pet as a present given a high rate of pets being dropped off to animal rescue shelters when new puppies lose their holiday shine, a Dubai veterinarian warned on Wednesday.

Unlike the latest fashions or electronics, furry little warm-blooded puppies can’t be returned to a retail store when the recipient doesn’t appreciate their new gift, says Dr Sara Elliott, director of Veterinarian Services at British Veterinary Hospital.

Best estimates suggest that holiday-related sales of pets surge by up to 20 per cent in December, increasing the likelihood that some pets will be abandoned.

Hard statistics are difficult to come by in Dubai and across the UAE, but overloaded shelters are a strong indicator of how large the problem is around the holidays and throughout the year, Elliott told Gulf News in an interview.

“It is very difficult to achieve actual numbers for abandonment as these animals end up in a variety of places and rescue centres. What we can say is that all of the rescue centres are full and unable to take in further animals, despite a vast number of new initiatives opening. If you phone Feline Friends you will get an automated answer saying that they are unable to take any more in,” Elliott said. “The number of abandoned animals each year is easily in the thousands. We even see animals left behind in villas when the owners have moved.”

Unplanned pet ownership can run into trouble when a new caretaker is confronted with the high cost of both time and cash caring for an animal, she said.

“We have around 5,000 pets on our books and, by averaging out the annual costs, we can confirm caring for an animal in the UAE costs around Dh10,000 per year. On top of this, the average pet relocation costs Dh8,000 and neutering Dh1,200. This is a significant outlay on top of the investment of buying a new pet, which people do not consider during the excitement of buying an adorable gift,” she said. “Before purchase, you also need to ensure the pet will be truly wanted and the person for whom you are buying the animal, is able and willing to look after the new member of the household, both emotionally and financially.”

Hayley Strifler, founder of Dubai Senior Dog Project, an organisation that rehomes discarded dogs, confirmed the holiday trend sees a spike in requests to take abandoned dogs.

“Every year, around the Christmas holiday we are inundated with requests to take in abandoned pets from owners, boarding kennels, veterinarians and animal shelters and even conscientious citizens, who find dogs tied up, dumped or roaming the streets. With holidays approaching, pet abandonment numbers rise sharply in this region, which is largely due to pet owners failing to plan kennelling or care arrangements for their pets in time. Instead of altering their holiday plans when this occurs, many sadly choose to abandon their pets.”

Gulam Farooq, manager of Dubai-based pet store Animal World, said in a statement that pet sales definitely go up in December by well-meaning buyers who may not have thought their goods through.

“We probably see an increase in pet sales of around 20 per cent in the month of December, with some of this undoubtedly attributed to gifts for loved ones over the festive and holiday period. We also see increases in pets around most celebratory periods, such as Ramadan and UAE National Day — times when families have time to spend with each other, and make the idea of owning a pet a reality.”

Candeta Bishop, owner of Creatures Oasis pet shop in Dubai, who hosts monthly adoption days, confirmed she has witnessed a spike in animals to be rehomed by private individuals this year and expects a decline in the weeks ahead.

“Adoptions are seasonal and we always see a drop off of around 50 per cent during holiday periods from our monthly average of 15 pets rehomed. Abandoned pets is a real and growing problem in Dubai and we strongly encourage those thinking of buying a pet as a gift this Christmas to instead visit our store on December 15 with an open mind to welcoming one of these beautiful, vulnerable animals into your family.”

BOX with picture of dog

This Labrador Retriever named Conker was purchased as a 10-week-old puppy a few years ago from a Dubai pet shop for Dh7,000 by a European gentleman as a Christmas present for his wife. After the wife told her husband to remove the animal from the house, he tried for several days to convince her to let the dog stay only to end up donating the dog to K9 Friends in Dubai where the dog was adopted by caring new owners.

COST

Average cost to maintain a pet per year, Dh10,000

Kennelling for a two-week holiday, Dh3,000

One medical issue a year, Dh2,500

Food, Dh2,100

Toys, Dh1,000

Parasite control, Dh1,000

Vaccinations, Dh400

SOURCE: British Veterinary Hospital