Eight dog owners per day look to surrender their pets since Christmas
Maggie, a five-month-old Spaniel puppy who was surrendered to Dogs Trust Ireland after her owners were duped into buying what was falsely advertised online as a ‘hypoallergenic’ dog. Pictures: Fran Veale
An animal rescue charity has been received eight requests every day since Christmas Day from members of the public looking to relinquish their dogs to their care.
Dogs Trust Ireland is making an urgent appeal for foster homes to help these pups after receiving almost 300 surrender requests, a staggering 73% increase on the 172 calls made during the same period last year.
Ciara Byrne, head of communications at Dogs Trust Ireland said that while many of the people who make contact with the charity do so because of extenuating circumstances, many calls are from owners who "underestimated the commitment dog ownership involves."
Dogs Trust says that a lot of the calls are from victims of families being "dog fished" by breeders, often misleading them with false advertisements for hypoallergenic dogs.
One such case is of five-month-old Maggie, a Spaniel puppy, who was "fictitiously advertised" as a hypoallergenic Poodle cross.
According to Dogs Trust, she was surrendered to them after her families allergies began to flare up.
"No dog can be said to be 100% hypoallergenic, said Ms Byrne.
"Even if the breed or crossbreed doesn’t shed very much or the dog doesn’t have much or any hair.”
Maggie was a nervous dog and fearful when she was brought in but she has since been placed with a foster family who hopes to be able to adopt her.
Kate Horgan, fostering coordinator at Dogs Trust Ireland says fostering provides invaluable experience for caring for dogs, particularly nervous pups.
"It plays a fundamental role in helping the most vulnerable dogs get back on their paws and gives them a better chance of finding their forever home, an incredibly rewarding experience for any dog lover," she said.
"If you are over 18, have access to dog friendly transport for vet visits and meeting potential adopters, a secure garden and time to temporarily care for a dog in need, we would love to hear from you.”
