Yellowknife (Dec 08/06) - Though the thought of putting a puppy under the Christmas tree may be tempting, workers at Great Slave Animal Hospital warn against adopting animals at Christmas.

Lisa Bjarnason has had Gizmo, now 14 years-old, since he was six months. She says having a dog is as much of a commitment as having a kid. - Christine Grimard/NNSL Photo

Since nearly half the animals at this time of year wind up back at the shelter, the workers have began refusing to allow families to adopt pets, unless everyone in the family has agreed.

Roxanne Gravel, administrative supervisor at the animal hospital, said all too often parents aren't prepared for the responsibility of owning a pet, and expect children to do most of the work.

"If you don't want a dog or cat, don't get it," said Gravel. "It's your responsibility."

The animal shelter is currently full and while the workers would love to see the animals be adopted soon, they also don't want to see the animals returned after the holidays.

"The hardest thing to find is forever homes," said Ashlee Shermet, receptionist at the animal hospital.

She said much of the problem lies in people wanting a perfect pet without any effort on their part.

"They come in saying they want a house-trained dog with not too much energy," said Shermet. "People don't want to put the time into training."

Shermet said she gets upset by how some people neglect their animals.

She has had the RCMP bring in dogs that were found in empty houses after the family had moved out.

"We don't understand how people can just leave them behind," she said.

Animal lover Lisa Bjarnason also cannot understand how people can abandon their dogs.

With two dogs and two cats of her own, Bjarnason said she feels for her pets the same way she feels for her family. Although they're a lot of work, she said the reward is well worth the effort.

"The attention, the love they show you," she said. "They comfort you."