PUPPIES DUMPED AFTER CHRISTMAS

ALMOST 400 unwanted Christmas puppies were handed in to an animal charity, it has emerged.

Dogs Trust says a shocking 370 requests were made from people looking to offload their pets between St Stephen’s Day and January 31 this year.

The most common reason given was by people was they didn’t have enough time to look after them anymore.

And last week, three eightweek-old puppies and their mum were brought to the rehoming centre in Finglas, North Dublin, after they were found dumped and left for dead. Tayana, Tefi and Timoti and their mum Tati will all be looking for homes in the next few weeks. Tati also has a deformity in both her front legs causing them to buckle outwards leaving her in great pain and it’s feared it could be genetic.

Dogs Trust’s Karla Dunne 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 they were found and brought to us so we can care for them here until they find loving homes. Thankfully all four of them are now thriving here and mum 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.”

The charity’s chief Suzie Carley added: “It is extremely worrying we continue to see a large number of dogs and puppies being surrendered or abandoned after Christmas.

“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 today as when it was first coined.”

Number of dogs who were surrendered in recent months