City works to find forever homes

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - The city’s animal shelters have almost a 1000 pets who are looking for a loving home, but there is something they want you to know before you get a pet this holiday season, maybe you should stick to a gift card first.

“We want people to be a little more conscience about adopting,” said Desiree Cawley with Animal Welfare said. It's always, people think, it's a wonderful gift.”

Cawley says they see pets given as gifts for Christmas that sometimes end up being returned, “It may not be the perfect match for that loved one to get that pet.”

But a gift card allows someone to, “take their time find that perfect match.”

If a pet is returned it's traumatic for the little guy and can make them harder to re-adopt because they won't be as trusting the next time. The city has worked very hard over the last five years to make sure pets have forever homes.

In 2007 the city had to euthanize almost 14,000 animals. That year just over 9,000 were placed in homes. It's a much different story in 2012. About 5500 pets were put down this year and 12,000 found a new family.

Not only is the shelter working harder to make sure a pet is a great match for someone, but they have a new program where volunteers work with dogs that are shy or less social. In the past those types of dogs would be put down because they were hard to adopt out.

Even if you don't want a new family member or can't take one of these guys home you can always donate money, blankets or toys in someone else’s name as a gift this year.