Even if Pedro, her daughters red-eared slider, didnt need a new turtle tank this year, hed still be getting a Christmas present, Williamstown resident Megan Pugh says.

Well, of course, said Pugh, 44. Usually he gets treats or shell buy him a new dock. Thats about all you can get for a turtle.

Pugh isnt alone in including a family pet on her Christmas list. According to a recent Associated Press-Petside.com poll, 51 percent of pet owners surveyed planned to get their animal companion a gift. Thats down slightly from 53 and 52 percent the previous two years and up from 43 percent in 2008.

And it isnt just the fuzzy, cuddly pets that will have something under the tree.

I think its moreso dogs and cats, but you do have that person who comes in to buy something for their snake or reptile, said Sandy Wells, store manager of Pet Supply Plus in Vienna, W.Va.

The store sells a lot of plush and squeak toys, as well as cat furniture around Christmastime, Wells said. Gerbils, hamsters, rabbits and the like arent forgotten either.

For the smaller critters, people buy the treats they dont normally buy, Wells said.

Toys, food and treats are the most popular gifts, according to the poll. But just like the child who gets clothes he needs in addition to or instead of toys he wants, some pets will get practical gifts like leashes, collars and the like.

Adam Johnson, manager of We Lov Pets in Marietta, said its a little early to see a Christmas rush but he anticipates more people as the 25th gets closer.

It seems with pets people almost think of them last, but they do remember them, he said.

Regular customers are always on the lookout for new toys and Johnson expects some people will be buying items from the new Kong line or a new product called Bumz.

Its basically the rear end of an animal, he said. Theres like chipmunks and squirrels, but all you see are the tails.

Fleming resident Christian Jussen, 43, said his dogs, a male Labrador retriever and a female Staffordshire terrier, have their own stockings at Christmas.

We put dog treats and a bone and maybe a stuffed toy in the stockings, he said.

Including the pets in the Christmas tradition is all about family, Jussen said.

I guess before I had kids they were the kids, and after I had kids, its fun for them, he said.

Including animals in Christmas can also be a way to benefit organizations.

The Humane Society of the Ohio Valley is once again setting up a tree in the window of American Flags and Poles on Front Street in Marietta. For a tax-deductible $5 donation to the society, people can designate a colored light to honor a living pet or a white one for an animal that has passed away.

To honor a pet, a person can fill out a form available at local veterinary offices and many downtown stores. They can be mailed with donations to the humane society at 1210 County House Lane, Marietta 45750, or dropped off at We Lov Pets, American Flags and Poles, Kellys Shedding Shack and the UPS Store.

A free, keepsake booklet including the names of the honored animals and donors will be available Jan. 11 at the humane society building and American Flags and Poles.

Pet Supply Plus will be offering pet photos with Santa Claus from 11 am to 5 pm Sunday. For $9.99, owners will receive two 4-by-6 photos, with proceeds benefiting Save a Kitty, a feral cat adoption and rescue program in Parkersburg.

Tags: Pets