‘Our staff will even take some of the vulnerable animals home’
Colleen Tinnelly, development manager at the USPCA, says the hospital in Newry is trying to rehome a number of animals in time for Christmas but will be vigilant about where they go. “A lot of people are looking for puppies for Christmas and are keen to purchase them for a family member, but we have a strong message that an animal is not a toy. It’s a lifetime commitment and doesn’t come with a return policy,” she says.
The charity is currently trying to rehome around 25 animals, of which 16 are currently receiving veterinary care at the hospital.
“They come in through the social rehoming scheme. So one animal here, dachshund-collie cross Sally, her owner died recently and she has been left orphaned in the mouth of Christmas. So it’s our commitment to get Sally a home over Christmas,” she says. “The USPCA operates 365 days a year, so our staff will come in over Christmas and ensure that the animals receive the same care as the rest of the year.
“On Christmas Day we will have presents for the pets, that people have left in shoe boxes for the animals left over Christmas. We had a Santa Paws events over the weekend that was completely booked out and our pets got to see Santa too.”
Colleen says the hospital has a dedicated team of staff and volunteers who will operate on a rota basis so that everyone gets some time with their families.
“Some of our staff will even take home some of the vulnerable pets that need round-the-clock care over Christmas,” she says. “We’ve a dedicated team of animal lovers and they want to make sure that any animal in our care at this time of year will receive a very happy and pleasant Christmas.
“But for the likes of Sally, our job is to ensure that she gets a new home over Christmas. However, we’ve to be very vigilant coming up to Christmas that our pets go to good homes and aren’t impulse decisions. Full home checks are done for all pets.”
Not only does the USPCA rehome pets that arrive through the social rehoming scheme, but it also cares for pet rescues and wildlife rescues.
“We have some hedgehogs at the minute and an injured seagull. Every day we have wildlife admitted that need our attention,” she says. “One thing about the USPCA is that we care for all animals over Christmas. We’ve just rehomed two African parrots this week. We’ve vets on call and all hands will be on deck this Christmas. We deal with a lot of rescues, so our phones never stop over the Christmas period.”
Colleen warns that Christmas can be a time of rich pickings for unregistered illegal puppy farmers and dog dealers. “Motivated by money, they breed dogs on an industrial scale with the only welfare concern being the well-being of their pockets and not the animal,” she says. “The USPCA does not encourage getting an animal as a Christmas gift. Experience tells us the festive season is not ideal for the quiet introduction of a companion animal into the home.”
However, for anyone who is shopping for a pet, she advises considering homing a pet from a local animal rescue, always seeing a puppy with its mother and litter, and never buying a pet from a car boot, the back of a van or a market stall. Buyers should ask if the person is a registered commercial breeder; and record the number from the Local Authority Registration document, and should enquire about the pup’s health status, worming and parasites, and inoculations, seeking verifiable veterinary confirmation.
They should not meet anywhere that is not the pup’s home, or buy a pup from anyone who supplies various breeds. Buyers shouldn’t take a pup that looks too young or underweight or buy a pup that they suspect has been illegally imported.
“Remember, if you are dealing with a legitimate breeder they will have questions for you about your lifestyle in order to satisfy themselves that you are a suitable keeper for their pup,” Colleen says.