Abandoned and left to die!

FINGLAS based Dogs Trust received an alarming 317 calls and 53 emails from members of the public trying to relinquish their dogs after Christmas.

Staff at the canine charity also recently had to rescue a litter of three puppies that were callously dumped in a box with their mum and left for dead.

The eight-week-old puppies, Tayana, Tefi and Timoti and their mum, Tati, had been left out by the side of a road in Tyrellstown in freezing temperatures. 

Tati also has a deformity in both her front legs causing them to buckle outwards, which can be very painful, especially in later life.

Her malformation is also suspected to be genetic, in which case it is very possible that her pups could also develop the chronic condition.

All three puppies and Tati will be looking for homes over the next few weeks.

 “It’s so incredibly heart-breaking to see these beautiful creatures being discarded in this way with little thought for their safety or well-being,” said Karla Dunne, Head of Operations at Dogs Trust.

“We’re just grateful that they were found and brought to us so that 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.” 

Dogs Trust say they get a large volume of people looking to surrender their dog after Christmas, and sadly this year was no different. The most common reason given was that they didn’t have time to look after them anymore.

Dogs Trust Executive Director, Suzie Carley, said it was extremely worrying to see a large number of dogs and puppies still 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 by Dogs Trust all those years ago,” she continued.

“Unfortunately Tati and her three pups are just some of the many dogs that are cruelly discarded after the Christmas period.”

We would urge people who are thinking of taking on a new dog not to do so coming up to Christmas. A dog is a big commitment so if you are still thinking of getting a dog we would ask the public to do careful research on where you are sourcing your dog from.

“Research the breed of dog to suit your lifestyle and try to anticipate any major lifestyle changes such as an upcoming move, a new baby and consider how a dog may impact this before bringing one into your home.”

Dogs Trust operates at full capacity and offers as many places as possible to dogs from Irish pounds, as they are the ones most at risk of destruction.

The charity is not in a position to take surrendered dogs from members of the public. However, sadly in the majority of the cases so far this year, the welfare of the dogs found abandoned or surrendered was of such concern, that the dogs were admitted for immediate veterinary attention.

This has impacted the number of dogs the charity can rescue from local authority pounds.