On Tuesday 4th December, Peter Luff was one of the animal-loving MPs who attended an event in Westminster organised by Dogs Trust, the UK’s largest dog welfare charity, to raise awareness of its annual Christmas campaign. Peter’s Mid Worcestershire constituency includes the Dogs Trust rehoming centre at Wickhamford.
The event aimed to highlight the famous Dogs Trust slogan; “A Dog is for Life, Not Just for Christmas” in a bid to combat the problem of dogs being given as gifts at Christmas only to be later abandoned in January.
The event gave attendees the opportunity to open a window on the charity’s ‘12 Strays of Christmas’ advent calendar and learn more about its campaign to encourage people to think carefully before taking on a dog, especially during the festive season.
Laura Vallance, Public Affairs Manager at Dogs Trust said,
“We are really pleased to be raising awareness about this important issue in Westminster. It is vital that dog ownership is seen as a long-term commitment and not just an impulse buy, especially at Christmas time. We see an influx of dogs being handed in to our rehoming centres over the Christmas period and we aim to curb this problem by educating people on responsible dog ownership and the potential risk of buying pets online on an impulse.”
Peter Luff added,
“There is one local organisation I don’t want to be busy after Christmas – that’s the Dogs Trust rehoming centre just outside Evesham. A dog should only be given as a gift where everyone involved knows it’s happening and proper arrangements have been made for the dog’s new home. Without that planning there’s a real risk of a Christmas present turning into an animal welfare disaster as the dog is abandoned and becomes a stray, or at best is taken to a rehoming centre.”
Every year, Dogs Trust works to highlight the problems surrounding dogs being given as gifts at Christmas. The online sale of pets means that impulse buying of animals has become an appealing option and the lure of a quick sale attracts many unscrupulous breeders particularly during the Christmas period.
Dogs Trust is the UK’s largest dog welfare charity and cares for over 16,000 abandoned and unwanted dogs a year through its nationwide network of 18 rehoming centres. For more information about Dogs Trust, the UK’s largest dog welfare charity, visit www.dogstrust.org.uk.