- Video shows how soon-to-be pet owners should prepare for bringing home a new pet for the holidays.
- Conducting research before obtaining a new pet can help your future pet have a smoother transition into their new home.
- To Ingham County Animal Control & Shelter it's important that families know the responsibility of taking on a new pet.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
I'm your neighborhood reporter, Dominic Carroll, and behind me are Black Rose and Jägermeister, who are both available for adoption. Staff here at the Ingham County Animal Control and Shelter say they only want these dogs to go to a new family for the holidays if they understand the responsibilities of caring for dogs like these two.
At the shelter, maybe they’ll find an owner like Shelby Gallimore, someone who takes their dog to the dog park. But before Gallimore even got her dog, she made sure to do her homework.
"I did a lot of research before I got my dog and knew the breed I wanted and what I was going to get into with the breed that I chose," said Gallimore.
The hope here at Ingham County Animal Control and Shelter is that would-be pet owners this holiday season will look for that information, too.
Because furry, four-legged friends can make an adorable present during the holidays, but even though some animals come in smaller sizes, they all come with a very large commitment.
"A puppy or kitten is a 10-to-15-year commitment, and with that 10-to-15 years comes a lot of expenses," says Hannah Page, community outreach manager at Ingham County Animal Control and Shelter.
Page says the list of expenses includes more than just a regular checkup.
"Pet food, toys, a collar, a leash, treats, a crate, a bed—that’s just kind of your basic pet starter pack," Page continued.
To Page, it’s important that first-time pet owners are as prepared as possible.
"Part of our adoption process is having that conversation with pet owners, kind of saying, 'This is what’s coming,'" Page concluded.
In Mason,
"In your first year, it's ingraining them into your whole life, into your family," Gallimore concluded.
Dominic Carroll, FOX 47 News.
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