Christmas Casualties

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CANINE welfare charities are bracing themselves for the usual spate of dumped dogs who have become the annual casualties of Christmas.
Overcrowded rescue centres – some with lengthy lists of animals waiting to come in – are already being forced to make emergency provisions as dogs are left outside their gates, tied to trees or dumped on staff with the usual excuses.
A few days before Christmas a starving German Shepherd was abandoned in freezing temperatures in Bo’ness, Scotland. She is ten years old, has a mammary tumour, is undernourished, and is now in council-run kennels.
A spokesman for the Scottish SPCA said: “It’s heartbreaking, particularly when we find out people are making way for the new Christmas puppy.”
A larger problem faced the RSPCA in Hillingon who had 32 animals who staff believe have been ‘thrown out’ before Christmas. The centre is ‘stretched to overflowing’, one said. “One man came in and gave us a six-month-old puppy because he did not want it making a mess in front of his guests.”

Emaciated

Elsewhere, a German Shepherd/Collie cross with mange and fleas and a Bull Terrier cross were found tied up in woods in High Wycombe, and Great Missenden; a Jack Russell cross was left in a public toilet in Wrotham, Kent; and a young, emaciated lurcher was found at the side of the road in Peterborough.
Dogs Trust in London has taken in the usual influx including a dog tied up and left outside a shop, and other charities nationwide are recording their worst year in memory. Bristol Dogs and Cats Home is at saturation point, and Bath Cats and Dogs Home is full and needs £3,000 a day to to feed and care for its ‘residents’.
As the recession has deepened, Bath has found an increasing number of animals, particularly those who are ill, are being discarded because owners are choosing to dump them rather than pay expensive vet bills. As a result, the home has seen a two-fold increase in the number of dogs arriving at its doors requiring urgent attention over the last nine months.
“The home is bursting at the seams with animals and has been literally full to capacity since the recession started to bite,” a spokesman said. “Hundreds more cats and dogs are on the charity’s ever lengthening waiting list, but until an animal is re-homed and vacates a space, there are, unfortunately, no more animal beds available.”
The home recently launched its Second Chance Appeal to try to encourage supporters to provide financial aid to help it cope with the situation, which is not helped by its annual £250,000 vet bill.
Battersea has seen high levels of strays throughout the year and has a waiting list, and other, smaller charities say they are ‘drowning’ in animals.
Thirty-one years on from the birth of its famous slogan ‘A dog is for life, not just for Christmas’, Dogs Trust has recorded that 131,400 dogs are still given as gifts.
 

Presents

“In 1978, 20 per cent of dogs became Christmas presents, and that figure has dropped to 1.8 per cent,” a spokesman said.
“But too many puppies are abandoned soon after being given as presents, while older dogs can be dumped to make way for the newer puppies.
“Last year a Labrador puppy was bought as a gift for a young family who soon realised they hadn’t the time to dedicate to him. They abandoned him at our West Calder centre on Christmas morning itself.
“To help prevent people thoughtlessly buying dogs as Christmas presents, all our centres did not rehome dogs between December 20 and January 2. People can visit and reserve a dog, but will not be able to take it home until the after the new year.”