Puppies abandoned in box on roadside in Dublin after Christmas

Forty years after the Dogs Trust coined the expression “A dog is for life, not just for Christmas”, vast numbers of people are still using the worst time of year to make presents of dogs to people who don’t actually want them.

That is according to Dogs Trust Ireland which early this year received 370 requests from people looking to surrender their dog after Christmas.

Among the dogs that were brought to the Trust’s Finglas base was a litter of three puppies which had been dumped in a box with their mother, in freezing conditions on the side of the road after Christmas, and left for dead.

The eight-week-old puppies were given the names Tayana, Tefi and Timoti while their mum was called Tati by staff at the centre who rehomed more than 2,700 dogs in 2017.

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Unfortunately Tati has a deformity in both her front legs causing them to buckle outwards, which can be very painful, especially in later life. Her malformation is also suspected to be genetic, in which case it is very possible that her pups could also develop the chronic condition.

Karla Dunne, head of operations at Dogs Trust said it was “incredibly heart-breaking to see these beautiful creatures being discarded in this way with little thought for their safety or well-being”.

“We’re just grateful that they were found and brought to us so that we can care for them here until they find loving homes. Thankfully all four of them are now thriving here and mum Tati can get the veterinary treatment she needs, but sadly many other puppies are not as fortunate and this could have been a completely different story had they not been found so quickly.” All three puppies, and their mum will be looking for homes over the next few weeks.

Suzie Carley, Executive Director said it was “extremely worrying that we continue to see a large number of dogs and puppies being surrendered or abandoned after Christmas.”

“We have just marked the 40th anniversary of the phrase “a dog is for life, not just for Christmas” and sadly this message is still as relevant today as when it was first coined by Dogs Trust all those years ago.”