EVERY year Dogs Trust sees a large amount of people looking to surrender their dog after Christmas and sadly, this year is no different. Between December 26 of 2018 and January 31, 2019, the charity recorded an alarming 317 calls and 53 emails from members of public trying to relinquish their dog. The most common reason given was that they didn’t have time to look after them anymore.
One heart-breaking case at the Dogs Trust Rehoming Centre in Finglas illustrates the scale of the problem. A box of eight week-old puppies, Tayana, Tefi and Timoti and their mum Tati were callously dumped and left for dead in freezing temperatures before being rescued by Dogs Trust. Sadly, mum Tati also has a deformity in both her front legs causing them to buckle outwards, which can be very painful, especially in later life. Her malformation is also suspected to be genetic, in which case it is very possible that her pups could also develop the chronic condition. All three puppies, and their mum Tati, will be looking for homes over the next few weeks.
Speaking about the case Karla Dunne, head of Operations at Dogs Trust said; “It’s so incredibly heartbreaking to see these beautiful creatures being discarded in this way with little thought for their safety or well being.
“We’re just grateful that they were found and brought to us so that we can care for them here until they find loving homes. Thankfully all four of them are now thriving here and Tati can get the veterinary treatment she needs, but sadly, many other puppies are not as fortunate and this could have been a completely different story had they not been found so quickly.”
Dogs’ Trust operates at full capacity and offers as many places as possible to dogs from Irish pounds, as they are the ones most at risk of destruction, so unfortunately the charity is not in a position to take surrendered dogs from members of the public. However in the majority of the cases so far this year, the welfare of the dogs found abandoned or surrendered was of such concern, that the dogs were admitted for immediate veterinary attention. This has impacted the number of dogs the charity can rescue from the Local Authority Pounds.
Every year Dogs Trust urges people who are considering getting a dog, not to do so before Christmas.
The charity always encourages people to consider adoption first, however if you decide to buy a dog in the New Year, please do careful research to ensure you are buying from a reputable breeder and not fuelling the cruel puppy farming trade.
Suzie Carley, executive director said, “We have just marked the 40th anniversary of the phrase ‘A dog is for life, not just for Christmas®’ and sadly, this message is still as relevant as when it was first coined by Dogs Trust all those years ago. Unfortunately Tati and her pups are just some of the many dogs that are cruelly discarded after the Christmas period. We would urge people who are thinking of taking on a new dog not to do so coming up to Christmas.
“A dog is a big commitment so if you are still thinking of getting a dog in the New Year, we would ask the public to do careful research on where you are sourcing your dog from, research the breed of dog to suit your lifestyle and try to anticipate any major lifestyle changes such as an upcoming move, a new baby and consider how a dog may impact this before bringing one into your home.”
