A dog is for life – not just for Christmas

Dec 18 2008 by Marjorie Kerr, West Lothian Courier

THIS year sees the 30th anniversary of Dogs Trust’s festive slogan “A Dog is For Life Not Just for Christmas.”

But despite the fact that three decades have elapsed since it was first coined by Clarissa Dickson of the charity, it remains as relevant as ever.

Over 500 dogs have been handed in to Dogs Trust West Calder so far this year, showing that the need to educate the public on responsible dog-ownership has to continue.

And workers at the centre say that sadly the message that animals should not be given as presents is still not getting through to some people.

Pamela Jackson, assistant manager operations, said: “At the moment we are full – we have 65 dogs at the centre just now.

“This is a busy time for us because sadly there is still a small hardcore of people who still think it is acceptable to give a puppy as a Christmas present and often that means they will get rid of an older dog they already have.

“We have quite a few older dogs here just now, but we offer a foster scheme to anyone interested in offering them a home, which means that the vet bills will be paid for the rest of their lives.

“That’s often a big consideration to people thinking of taking on a dog, especially one that’s a bit older.”

In the past, the centre has had to deal with some cases of dogs being abandoned at the centre’s gates, although staff stress this is rare.

However, in a bid to discourage irresponsible owners from taking on pets they can’t look after, the centre doesn’t allow the adoption of dogs over the Christmas and New Year period.

Visitors can still view the dogs and reserve one to become their pet, but they will not be allowed to take the dogs home with them between December 21 and January 3.

However, centre staff say that aside from a minority of people getting rid of their pets for selfish reasons, there are many people who have to part with their pets through no fault of their own.

Susan Tonner, centre manager, said: “We have some dogs brought to us as a result of bereavement or a change of circumstance like an older person going into care or someone having to work a lot of extra hours who isn’t able to give the dog the attention it needs.

“We never put a healthy dog to sleep and we have a policy that if one of our dogs is rehomed but is brought back to us – even if it’s several years later – we will always take it in.”

Susan said it is important for potential dog-owners to think carefully before they commit to taking on a pet.

“The first thing is to make sure that the dog matches the owner’s lifestyle – if they have children, how active they are and the time they have to spend on the dog,” said Susan.

“Then there are other thing, like costs such as medical expenses, which are obviously a consideration for people.”

And Susan says there are many caring people who offer the centre regular support.

She added: “We have volunteers who walk the dogs, people who take some of the dogs home on a Tuesday when the centre is closed, people who sponsor the dogs and people who rehome some of dogs who need a lot of care.

“And there are people who hand in presents and food for the dogs at Christmas.

“We are constantly stunned by the generosity of people.”