宠物为什么会被退回的真相
Oh, the joy of the holidays, with the possibility of a squirming puppy or fluffy kitten waiting under the Christmas tree. But what happens when house training gets frustrating or an eager child gets bored with his new furry friend?
哦，节日的快乐，还有可能是一只蠕动的小狗或毛茸茸的小猫在圣诞树下等待。但是，当家庭训练变得令人沮丧，或者孩子对他的新宠物感到厌烦时，会发生什么呢?
Nobody wants to see a pet come back to the shelter after an adoption, least of all animal advocates. Several groups have done their homework on this issue, with surprising results. (Photo: David Porras/Shutterstock)
There's a long-standing belief that pets given as gifts often end up in shelters several weeks later. In fact, this belief is so prevalent that some rescue groups discourage such "gift" adoptions, especially around the holidays.
人们一直认为，作为礼物赠送的宠物通常会在几周后被送到收容所。事实上，这种想法非常普遍，以至于一些救援组织不鼓励这种“礼物”收养，尤其是在节日前后。
What the studies say
研究表明
That kitten under the tree could turn out to be a long-time, happy member of the family, say studies. (Photo: ANURAK PONGPATIMET/Shutterstock)
A study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association looked at the risk factors that made a dog more likely to be relinquished to an animal shelter. It found that dogs received as gifts were much less likely to be relinquished than dogs purchased or adopted by the owner directly.
发表在《美国兽医医学协会杂志》上的一项研究着眼于使狗更有可能被送到动物收容所的风险因素。研究发现，与主人直接购买或收养的狗相比，作为礼物接受的狗更不容易放弃。
The study also found that about three-quarters of the people who received a pet as a gift were OK that it was a surprise and said receiving the animal as a gift increased their sense of attachment.
研究还发现，收到宠物礼物的人中，约有四分之三认为这是一个惊喜，并表示收到宠物礼物增加了他们的依恋感。
Earlier studies looked at why pets were relinquished to shelters and found that the majority of pets that were returned had come from shelters, breeders or friends. The odds of the pet being returned were much lower when it was a gift.
早期的研究调查了为什么宠物会被送到收容所，结果发现大部分被送回的宠物都来自收容所、饲养者或朋友。当宠物是礼物时，它被归还的几率要低得多。
What some rescue groups say
一些救援组织是怎么说的
Some rescue groups won't allow any pet adoptions as gifts, except to family members. (Photo: ngorkapong/Shutterstock)
Most rescue groups and shelters still aren't fans of giving a pet as a surprise gift unless it's parents who want to surprise their kids. In that case, the parents typically understand that a family commitment will be necessary.
大多数救援组织和避难所仍然不喜欢把宠物作为惊喜礼物，除非它的父母想给他们的孩子一个惊喜。在这种情况下，父母通常理解家庭承诺是必要的。
However, at FurKids, an Atlanta-based rescue group, the holidays have been a successful time for long-lasting pet adoptions, says founder and CEO Samantha Shelton.
然而，亚特兰大救援组织FurKids的创始人兼首席执行官萨曼塔•谢尔顿表示，对于长期收养宠物来说，假期是一个成功的时机。
However, the group also follows the family-only rule for surprise adoptions.
然而，该组织也遵循了只允许家庭成员意外收养的规定。
The keys to successful adoption
成功收养的关键
Instead of surprising someone with a pet, take them with you to help choose one. The gift will still be special. (Photo: Mila Supinskaya Glashchenko/Shutterstock)
Giving a pet as a gift may not be such a terrible idea after all, but for any animal adoption, there are still plenty of things to consider before you go find the perfect bow.
送宠物作为礼物也许并不是一个糟糕的主意，但是对于任何收养动物的人来说，在你找到完美的弓之前，仍然有很多事情要考虑。
Even better, give the recipient a collar and pet supplies and let them pick out the pet with you.
更好的是，给收信人一个项圈和宠物用品，让他们和你一起挑选宠物。
While some groups have embraced holiday pets, the animal welfare community is still divided, Weiss says.
韦斯说，虽然一些团体已经接受了假日宠物，但动物福利团体仍然存在分歧。
"Sheltering organization and rescue groups work independently and all have their own opinions, so it takes a long time to change their behavior," she says.
她说:“避难组织和救援组织是独立工作的，他们都有自己的观点，所以改变他们的行为需要很长时间。”
Various studies estimate that somewhere between 6-13% of pets eventually end up leaving their homes.
各种研究估计，大约有6-13%的宠物最终会离开家。
"Sometimes, no matter where a pet is obtained, it doesn't work out. It could be mismatched expectations happens in a person's life," Weiss says. "That's the reality."
“有时候，不管从哪里得到宠物，都不会成功。它可能是发生在一个人生活中的不匹配的期望，”Weiss说。“这就是现实。”
