Are you searching for a Christmas gift idea for an animal lover? If your loved one is a fan of all living things, there can be many different ideas online and it can be quite overwhelming when you first start to look and find that some of the conventional gifts aren’t quite right.
Being animal lovers ourselves, here we’ve brought together some creative and meaningful ideas that can help animals, which might help you find the perfect gift for your animal loving friend or family member.
Animal Adoption & Sponsorship
A popular Christmas gift for animal lovers is animal adoption and sponsorship through a wildlife foundation or special organisation. An adoption sponsorship will better the lives of animals, while also providing a meaningful gift to a friend or family member.
There are a few different routes with animal adoption and this can depend on the type of animal or creature you have in mind for your loved one.
The World Wildlife Foundation is a great charity with an extensive animal adoption program for both adults and children. They offer animal adoption for a large number of different animals in locations around the world, and you can opt for one off or monthly donations. With some of their programs, you will also receive a welcome pack and cuddly toy which is perfect for gifting as part of the package.
In addition, you can also opt for a charity such as The Dogs Trust or Guide Dogs. For example, the Dogs Trust will send a personalised photo certificate of the dog you have chosen for them to sponsor, along with updates, postcards and window stickers. It’s a great initiative for dog lovers and a wonderful present idea.
As part of our commitment to bettering the lives of animals, we also give a 10% donation to The Dogs Trust for every dog sculpture that is purchased from us.
Donation to Animal Charity
A slight alternative to animal adoption or sponsorship, you could also opt for a charitable donation to a cause that is close to the person you are looking for a gift for. For example, if your friend has a particular interest in cats or hedgehogs, you can look for a local charity in your area to make a gifting donation to, like the All Creatures Great and Small animal sanctuary in South Wales.
Some charities may not offer the adoption sponsorship that Dogs Trust or WWF can. But, your donation can still go a really long way for a local animal charity, and be a meaningful gift to your friend or relative that will resonate with the cause they care about. Some of these charities may even offer Christmas cards around this time of year!
Commissioned Animal Artwork
If your friend is a pet owner or a fan of a particular animal, a commissioned or custom piece of animal artwork is a wonderful idea to add a personal touch to their gift.
There are customised gifts for every size of budget, from customised keychains and Christmas decorations you can buy through Etsy or Amazon, all the way to a painting or sculpture commission of their pet or favourite animal. A custom gift can be a perfect and unique way of showing your appreciation for the recipient, and giving them something different that they will cherish. If you are feeling creative, you could even create your own custom artwork. For example, a pawprints in clay gift is an easy and meaningful way to gift someone with an everlasting mould of their pet.
Tanya’s work includes a range of different bronze animal sculptures, the great majority of which were originally commissioned in this way. Large or small, if your loved one has a pet that you wanted to bring to life through sculpture, this is something we can accommodate.
In addition, we also make charitable donations for every sculpture sold, to The Dogs Trust, All Creatures Great and Small and the David Shepherd Wildlife Trust. So a commission has the potential to keep generating donations for animal causes over many years.
Feel free to browse our collection of animal and wildlife sculptures, or take a read of our commissions page for more information on commissions.
Tickets to an Animal Sanctuary or Wildlife Park
Moving away from the slightly traditional animal gifts, you could consider a visit to an animal sanctuary as a gift to a friend which is a little less conventional and something fun and interesting that they can do.
If there is a local animal sanctuary in your area that is open to visitors, your friend or relative might appreciate a ticket to go and visit the animals during an Open Day. Seeing the important work that these sanctuaries do firsthand is also a great way to inspire children to love and respect all our animals. There are many types of sanctuaries across the world and it would be worth having a search around your local area to see what options are available.
Gifts for Pets
If you have a close friend or family member with a pet that they love, a gift for their pet as well as them is a kind gesture and appreciation for their love of their pet. It can be a meaningful gift when you’ve taken the time to think about their beloved cat, dog or small animal, and recognise how big a part they play in the recipient’s family.
There are a huge range of gift ideas for pets that you can browse online. These include toys or items they can play with or Christmas themed treats. If you are feeling creative, you could even give DIY dog treats a go, with a personalised treat jar. Depending on the pet, there are lots of lovely ideas online.
And if you can spare a thought for the dogs and cats in animal shelters over Christmas, you’ll definitely be winning in the Christmas spirit contest!
Plant a Tree
A present that truly lasts, planting a tree for someone can provide a lifelong impact for animals. Do consider native trees already present in your local area; they often bring the most benefits to the wildlife that lives there. Tree species that have high benefits for insects and wildlife are all brilliant, with berries, flowers, fruit, seeds or nuts – or those which provide winter cover and nesting sites. You can find advice on these through your local charities, like the RSPB and the Woodland Trust.
You might even find out that a tree isn’t even the best fit – and could decide on a shrub that bees love, or fencing in a little wild patch in the garden – to allow undisturbed animals homes or allow the caterpillars and butterflies to thrive next year.
DIY & Eco Gifts
Plantable Paper Cards & Seeds
Plantable Christmas cards are great eco and animal friendly gifts. Some even come with plantable seeds as well. This is a great way to send a festive card to a friend or family member who you may not be able to see over Christmas, that is completely eco friendly and can be planted and used in their garden. These plants and flowers are wonderful for bees, butterflies and other kinds of wildlife.
Animal Habitats
A great gift idea for children, animal habitats are a great way to recycle at-home items or Christmas gift wrapping to transform them into eco-friendly homes for wildlife (provided they are plastic free!). Giving a recycled gift to animal-loving children is a great way to encourage the adoption of recycling and animal protection early on.
From hedgehog houses to bird feeders, there are lots of creative ways to create animal habitats. There are many charities that offer instructions on how to make habitats online.
To Conclude
Hopefully, this article has given you some ideas for meaningful animal related gifts that you could consider when buying something for your loved one this holiday. We wish you a Merry Christmas!
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