The festive season often sees families across Ireland welcoming furry friends into their homes on Christmas Day.
A lot of the time, people ask for puppies from Santa without considering the huge amount of work that goes into caring for and training young dogs.
The DSPCA sees an annual influx of animals being dropped off in the New Year from people who cannot handle their new family members.
So Gillian Bird, Head of Media for the DSPCA has warned children of what to do, and what not to do if they’re asking for puppies this year.
First off, she said: “The simple advice is animals get travel sickness, so they don’t travel very well on the sleigh, so they don’t get delivered by Santa.”
Although they’re great additions to a home, Ms. Bird says instead of jumping into the deep end this Christmas, children should do some research on what owning a dog involves, and should perhaps offer to foster a dog before committing.
“The best thing to do is, if you have somebody who genuinely wants an animal, it’s all about research. It’s about the things they need,” she explained.
“So if you do plan to get a pet for your family - because it is a family pet - then maybe for Christmas what you need to get is a book on how to look after the animal.
“You need to get some of the equipment you need, you need the dog bed, the collars, the leads, a voucher for the vet’s and for the vaccinations you’re going to need.
“And then go to a rescue centre after Christmas and adopt one.
“Or ideally foster one over Christmas and then you’ll get a really good idea if it is the right animal for you.”
