Pet peeve: Dog owners can make mistakes from day one

People often fail to give sufficient thought to what they are taking on when choosing a pet which in turn can lead to problems down the road

Packed dog shelters are finding it difficult to keep up with demands created by the surrender and abandonment of often mistreated pets. Picture: iStock

In spite of regular appeals not to bring invasive animals and plants into the country, people persist in doing so while supplying a ready market.

A key issue is that people don’t give sufficient thought to what they’re taking on, as in the case of buying an exotic animal as a pet, leading to problems down the road.

Difficulties arise when pets grow, or become aggressive and distressed, and owners no longer feel able to care for them.

A recent example is the finding of a non-native, freshwater turtle in the Lakes of Killarney.

These turtles are native to North America and, as often happens, the probability is this one was released into the wild by its owner who had initially acquired it as a small pet. The first report of such a turtle here came from The Lough, Cork, in 2003.

Surveys show that up to one-third of Irish households own some form of exotic pet, including fish, reptiles and birds, while an estimated half of households have a dog.

Demand for rescue services continues to grow. One reason given for dumping pets is cost-of-living pressures. People find it difficult to meet food and veterinary expenses.

A way of getting rid of a problem pet is to let it off somewhere in the country. Of course, these animals can also escape from the owner’s property.

Animals that are cute when small and young grow quickly and can become a burden, especially if an owner doesn’t have enough space for them.

Bearded dragons, lizards, tortoises and turtles are among the rescued animals. But anything can turn up… much bigger and more dangerous creatures.

A macaque, a large monkey which can bite and be aggressive, has been rescued here. Reportedly, it had been given to a little girl as a birthday present. Imagine! This monkey needs space, much more than your average back garden.

Another unsuitable pet rescued here is an African serval cat, a wild predator with strong hunting instincts. Unpredictable, it can also bite. This cat needs plenty of space and outdoor freedom. It marks its territory with its urine…not too pleasant around a house!

Now to dogs. Dogs Advocacy Ireland cites surveys which show we have at least 500,000, and growing.

Packed dog shelters are finding it difficult to keep up with demands created by the surrender and abandonment of often mistreated pets.

Owners can make mistakes from day one: by choosing the wrong type of dog, for example. Pups are sometimes bought for children without much thought about the time, attention and care these animals need, including a lot of exercise for bigger dogs especially.