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Irish animal charity warn pets are not disposable after 40 animals surrendered in one week

IRISH ANIMAL welfare charity the DSPCA have been inundated with requests to rehome pets, with 25 days still to go until Christmas.

In the past week, owners of over 40 pets have asked to rehome their animals because they can no longer keep their animals in the run up to Christmas the charity has said.

The reasons given for rehoming are 'sick relative,' 'moving house,' 'human pregnancy issues,' 'biting the children,' 'unwilling to work on training,' 'allergies,' 'gotten too big,' and even 'having multiple dogs and wants to get rid of the troublesome ones.'

One case involved an owner who can no longer care for his five terriers ranging from 1 to 6 years of age.

The charity said that while they appreciate that some callers are genuine, the trend is worrying and continues to get worse each year and the calls increase the closer to Christmas.

“It is not unheard of for pet owners to surrender their pet dog as it has become 'too bold' only to replace it with a new puppy at Christmas,” Gillian Bird Head of Education at the DSPCA says.

These puppies were found abandoned in freezing conditions on the street in the dark in North County Dublin.(Picture: DSPCA)

“We have heard all the excuses possible, my personal favourite was from a family who felt that their old and slightly smelly dog did not fit into the newly refurbished kitchen where they would be preparing and eating Christmas dinner with their extended family."

Once again the DSPCA are reminding people that a dog is a family member and is not a disposable item.

“Dogs need constant work and training to help them fit into the family’s life," continues Ms Bird.

“If you are not prepared to put work into owning a pet then you should simply stick to soft toys or even an interactive electronic pet that can be bought in a toy shop which can be turned off if the child or family lose interest.”

Animal Welfare Charities such as the DSPCA are extremely busy in the run up to Christmas and a sudden intake of all these unwanted dogs and cats puts a strain on the charities already stretched resources.