What better way to celebrate the holidays than to open your home and your heart to a new member of the family?

One way to do that is to visit the Humane Society of Northeast Georgia or the new Hall County Animal Shelter and find a dog or a cat that needs a loving home.

The humane society and animal shelter parted ways amicably this year, each opening separate facilities with unique missions. But their goals are the same: to match unwanted animals with families who can give them a home.

The humane society has changed its name and scope. The facility at 845 Ridge Road in Gainesville used to serve only Hall County; it now covers Banks, Habersham, Jackson, Lumpkin, Rabun, Stephens and White counties as well. It now offers selective adoptions and takes in only those animals it can best place in a new home. Adoptions are $100, which includes vaccinations and other health checks, microchip IDs and spaying or neutering.

But would you love a pet any less if it were free? That’s the question many are asking over the proposal to waive adoption fees next month at the new Hall County Animal Shelter at 1688 Barber Road.

The Hall County Board of Commissioners recently OK’d such a plan with the hopes that free animal adoptions would lead more people to give good homes to some of the 375 or so dogs and cats housed there. The shelter has a capacity of 450 and has filled quickly since opening Oct. 15.

With the holidays coming, the hope is that many families might be willing to take in a pet. Yet like many good ideas, this one could come with unintended consequences. Some fear waiving fees will lead some people to adopt pets they may neglect or abandon. The fee, the thinking goes, shows that an owner is willing to commit to the animal’s long-term care.

They have a point. Adopting a cat or a dog isn’t like buying a houseplant. It is a big step and requires an economic and emotional investment. A pet, after all, is a member of the family. These homeless animals already have been abandoned once and need the love and stability of owners who will care for them for their lifetimes.

What these pets, and the county, don’t need is for a large number of adopted animals to wind up back in the shelter because their new owners couldn’t handle them. That could make the animals even harder to adopt the next time around.

It is admirable that county officials want to do their best to put the shelter’s animals in good homes, and waiving the $65 fee could be attractive to some prospective pet owners who already intend to adopt. Shelter director Mike Ledford emphasizes that everyone seeking to adopt a pet will undergo a screening process to make sure they are ready to do so, financially and otherwise. Everyone shares the goal of having an animal shelter with as few animals in it as possible.

One way to do this is to stress the need to sterilize all pets to limit animal populations. More than 4 million cats and dogs are euthanized each year in the U.S. because owners didn’t fulfill that responsibility. Perhaps rather than waiving adoption fees more money could be collected to expand existing spay/neuter programs.

In the meantime, our hope is that all who take advantage of the offer do so for the right reasons: Not because the animal is free, but because they sincerely want to welcome a pet into their lives the right way, with nurturing and affection.

But be aware that, fee or no, the expense of raising a pet can be considerable. A dog or a cat needs food, water, regular visits to the veterinarian and lots of other needs that can tap a family’s budget. If the time isn’t right, don’t stretch yourself too thin and put a needy animal at risk.

Pets also need our time, including lots of exercise and time spent playing, walking and cuddling. If your life is too busy to give an animal a piece of your day, neither one of you will be happy.

That’s why experts advise against giving a pet as a surprise gift. There’s no way to know if the recipient of a new kitten or puppy is ready to give it the human contact and financial investment it needs. Many pets given as gifts soon could wind up back in a shelter, or worse, left to fend on their own. That kind of gift benefits no one.

The humane society’s Web site offers some tips on adoption that apply to anyone looking for a pet. Check it out and make sure you think it through carefully.

And don’t choose an animal too quickly; it is important to find a dog or a cat that is the best fit. Some animals are better with young children than others; some are comfortable as house pets but others need room to roam outside. Find one that is the best fit for your living and family arrangements, lifestyle and personality. And be sure that the decision to get a dog or a cat is agreed upon by the whole family so everyone can contribute to its well being.

If you are ready to take that step, we urge you to contact the humane society or the animal shelter and see what animals might be best for your family. Adopting a pet from one of these agencies assures you that the animal you’re getting is healthy, has been spayed or neutered and, most importantly, needs the kind of loving home that you can provide.