Germany’s biggest animal shelters have banned pets from being adopted over the Christmas period.
Dozens of shelters across the country have introduced temporary bans in an effort to stop animals being adopted as Christmas presents, only to be returned to shelters or even dumped as early as Christmas Eve.
Anyone hoping to take home a new pet from shelters in major cities such as Berlin, Hanover or Bremen will not be able to until the New Year.
And those who do not understand the reason why the ban has come in probably shouldn't adopt a pet, shelter workers say.
Arvid Possekel, from Hanover Animal Shelter, told German broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) pets are not just for Christmas.
“The temporary stop is there so that animals do not end up under the Christmas tree, because animals simply are not presents,” he said.
“Ideally they become members of the family and you just don’t give family members as presents.”
Supporters of the ban fear animals can be bought impulsively as a gift, sometimes without a person speaking to their family first.
The Hanover shelter where Mr Possekel works sees about 4,200 animals come through its doors each year. It looks after about 450 animals at any one time.
Bremen Animal Shelter has taken in about 1,100 animals this year and has successfully given up 1,000 for adoption, however it is still currently home to around 500, DW reports.
“It’s sadly the case that the first animals are abandoned even on Christmas Eve,” Gabriele Schwab, of Bremen Animal Shelter, told DW.
“If you really want to gift someone an animal, then you can go to the shelter before the holidays, or in January, but it does not need to be two days before Christmas.”
Mr Possekel added that potential owners should also be mindful of how stressful Christmas and New Year can be.
“New Year is also a very hectic time,” he said. “It means that animals that newly arrive in a home come at the most stressful time of year.
“So, with the stressful Christmas time with lots of visitors, or driving here and there, as well as New Year’s Eve, it means generally people have far too little time to help their pet settle down.
“It’s an enormous strain on the animal, on top of the stress of their new surroundings.”
Families can still visit shelters with the temporary ban in place for advice on adoption during the festive period – they'll just have to wait until the New Year to take an animal home.
"Quite honestly, those people who don't understand, we don't want them," said Ms Schwab.
