The Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation Department reminds people not to give animals as gifts and to help prevent animal abandonment.

Anyone who is considering giving animals as gifts must be certain the recipient is able to provide proper care. When someone decides to keep a pet, they should treat it as a pet for life and not a disposable commodity.

People must respect an animal's life, the department said, adding keeping a pet is a life-long commitment and abandoning an animal is a cruel act.