The DSPCA has launched a ‘Be A Good Human’ this Christmas campaign to remind pet owners on how best to look after their animals over the holiday season.
“We have to be super careful with what we’re giving our pets as treats,” DSPCA spokesperson Gillian Bird said.
“A lot of the food we get around Christmas time is very salty, it’s very fatty and sometimes it has things like raisins, it could have stuff in it that’s actually toxic to animals.”
The campaign has also warned pet owners to make sure no hazardous decorations are left near their pets.
Unwanted pets
In October, the ISPCA said an "unprecedented" numbers of pets have already been abandoned this year and the DSPCA has appealed for donations to help them cope after Christmas.
“Unfortunately, it does still happen,” Ms Bird said.
“What is worse is that if people came to us after Christmas and said, ‘We made a mistake, we can’t keep it. It’s just not right for us,’ that would be better than what usually happens.
“People hang onto the animals until summer, the following Christmas or they basically keep them until they become a nuisance and they realise, ‘We can’t be keeping this animal, it’s got behavioural issues.’”
Main image: A sad-looking dog lying on a kitchen floor. Picture by: Nicholas Floyd / Alamy Stock Photo
