TYLER, Texas — Pets are a lifelong commitment. They are meant to provide their owners with unconditional love and companionship. They count on their owners to not only love and protect them but to make sure they are treated like family.
There is often a surge of pets in shelters after Christmas because of the realization that those puppies and kittens with the red bow under the tree are more than just an idyllic Instagram story or cute surprise — they are a responsibility.
“Just because animals look cute under the Christmas tree doesn’t mean they make good holiday gifts,” Smith County Animal Control and Shelter Supervisor Amber Greene said. “Many people who receive animals as gifts find that they’re unable to make the lifelong commitment to caring for their new animal companion, no matter how much they’d like to make it work.”
Read more from our news partners, the Tyler Morning Telegraph.
