An Ottawa group that rescues abandoned dogs says it's already seeing a surge in surrendered pets given as Christmas gifts.

Over the weekend, Andrea Valois, president of the volunteer-run Ottawa Dog Rescue, posted a photo of one such pup on Facebook, describing Archie as a "Christmas mistake" that now needs a new home.

When you've lost 96 pairs of socks and all of your kids' toys are chewed and you don't know how to train a dog — that's when we get the call. - Mike Gatta, Ottawa Dog Rescue

Mike Gatta, a volunteer manager with the group, is now fostering the eight-week-old shepherd-Labrador. He said the owners did the right thing by recognizing their mistake and bringing the puppy to a reputable rescue organization.

"Most people just don't realize how much work it's going to be," Gatta said. "When you've lost 96 pairs of socks and all of your kids' toys are chewed and you don't know how to train a dog — that's when we get the call."

'He barks, he bites, he nips'

Gatta said Archie was a gift from one half of an Ottawa couple to the other, but they soon realized the dog wasn't the right fit.

"He's going to be a fairly large [and] he'll be pretty active, so he's going to need a family that fits that kind of lifestyle," Gatta said.

Mike Gatta is fostering Archie while Ottawa Dog Rescue looks for a permanent home for the puppy. (Matthew Kupfer/CBC)

"He barks, he bites, he nips. He needs somebody that's going to be willing to work with a puppy and train all those behaviours out and help him become a really good dog."

Gatta said the rescue has had at least three gift dogs surrendered so far, which is typical.

"Around Christmastime, definitely most of them are gift dogs," he said.

Mike Gatta, who volunteers with Ottawa Dog Rescue, says eight-week-old Archie was given up after his owners realized what a handful puppies could be. 0:52

'A terrible idea'

The Ottawa Humane Society (OHS) said it hasn't seen a similar surge, though it does experience a bump in the summer.

"Where we do start to see spikes [is] in June [when] Fluffy doesn't fit with holiday plans, and Fluffy ends up here," said Bruce Roney, the society's president and CEO

Roney said the OHS doesn't allow pets to be adopted out if they're intended as gifts, except by parents who agree to take responsibility for them. He said last year only five of the 325 pets adopted out were returned.

"We don't recommend pets as gifts at all. The adopter should really be prepared and have thought through what the right pet [is] for them ... and whether they're ready to take on the responsibility."

Bruce Roney, president and CEO of the Ottawa Humane Society, said people shouldn't ever give pets as gifts. (Matthew Kupfer/CBC)

Gatta said Ottawa Dog Rescue doesn't knowingly allow pets to be adopted as gifts, either. He said the "Christmas mistakes" that end up in the group's care usually come from breeders or pet stores that don't properly screen adopters.

"Giving somebody a puppy is a terrible idea," he said. "Everybody in the family needs to be 100 per cent on board with the adoption of the animal."