Remember that saying ‘A dog is for life not just for Christmas’…

Thirty years on since the charity made famous the trademarked slogan, people are still abandoning their animals for the most ridiculous of reasons. To abandon an animal is appalling but it always seems even worse over the festive season – a time for love and giving?

Last year a puppy bought as a Christmas present was handed into a rehoming centre because his owners felt unable to look after him. The 10-week-old pup, was handed in on Christmas Day at the West Calder Dogs Trust centre in Scotland. Another dog was given up for eating the Christmas turkey, while another lost its home because it opened its owners' presents on Christmas Eve. These are just a few of the hundreds of stories we hear each year as to why someone cannot care for their dogs. Perhaps, they should give a little more thought to this before they take on the responsibility of dog ownership?

The Dog’s Trust said that although the number of dogs given as Christmas presents has fallen over the past years, they still amount to 131,400 animals each year which is a staggering figure. In an effort to stop people thoughtlessly buying dogs as Christmas presents, the trust's centres will stop rehoming dogs over the festive season. People will be able to visit and reserve a dog, but they will not be able to take it home until the New Year.

The trust says “Having a dog is a long-term commitment and our anniversary offers the perfect opportunity to remind people that dogs are not fashion accessories or disposable items that can be upgraded or discarded after just a few months.”


The trust cares for more than 16,000 stray, unwanted and abandoned dogs each year and carries out rigorous checks to make sure the dogs are rehomed to responsible owners.

Go on make this Christmas special!