DALLAS (KDAF) — Thinking of gifting a furry little friend this holiday season? Before you do that, there are a few things to consider before making that commitment.

“It shouldn’t be a surprise. The family should have talked about whether they were wanting to add a pet,” Ed Jamison, Operation Kindness CEO, said.

Even though your intentions may be pure in wanting to surprise that special someone with a pet, pets are a commitment that could span up to 15 years. So make sure you the person receiving the gift are ready to take on pet parenthood by talking about the idea, first.

Another question you should consider is adoption over buying a pet. Not only can buying a pet put you at risk of being scammed but your money could end up going to a puppy mill.

With so many resources in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex such as Operation Kindness, adopting a pet is an easy, safe alternative to buying a pet.

“[There are] so many rescues and shelters doing the work, day in [and] day out, [with] animals by the tens of thousands coming in,” Jamison said.

Jamison joined our show and talked more about how you can adopt through Operation Kindness.