Getting crafty for canines at Christmas
Dogs Trust Ilfracombe has been getting crafty to help their homeless hounds feel as at home as possible this festive season, as staff prepare for what is expected to be another busy Christmas.
A local volunteer named Michelle Hindes, who makes bespoke embroidered bandanas for the dogs, has created festive decorations and personalised an array of Christmas stockings for some of the rehoming centre’s four-legged residents, many of whom will be spending their first Christmas at Dogs Trust Ilfracombe.
Staff have been busy filling the stockings with treats and hanging them outside the kennels ready for Santa Paws to visit on Christmas Eve. They are now preparing to make Christmas Day as fun-filled as possible for the 40 dogs currently awaiting loving new homes.
Dogs Trust Ilfracombe Rehoming Centre Manager Elise Watson comments,
“Christmas day at the Rehoming Centre is made to be as jolly as possible with staff and volunteers wearing tinsel and hats, decorating the reception area, playing Christmas tunes and spoiling the 40 rescue dogs who are staying at the centre whilst they look for new homes.
Whilst other people are preparing the turkey, staff at the centre will be hands on cleaning the kennels. They then bring out the stockings filled with toys and gifts sent in from dog lovers all over the country and go to each kennel and hand the dogs new toys and treats. The dogs are also treated to a sausage for Christmas supper before bedding down after a fun-filled day.”
Luckily, the dogs in our care will get the chance to enjoy the festive season but sadly this isn’t the case for hundreds of dogs who are abandoned every Christmas. Many pups are discarded soon after being given as presents or older dogs are given up to make way for newer pups and we expect this year to be no different. We urge anyone thinking of getting a dog during this busy period to seriously think about the commitment involved before making your decision.”
Thirty seven years on from the birth of its famous slogan “A dog is for life not just for Christmas®”, the UK’s largest dog welfare charity, Dogs Trust Ilfracombe is bracing itself for another busy Christmas.
To help prevent people getting dogs as Christmas presents, Dogs Trust’s 20 rehoming centres do not usually rehome dogs over the Christmas period (22nd December – 1st January). However, some dogs may benefit from going to their new homes sooner so staff will be able to advise potential adopters on the needs of individual dogs. People will still be able to visit their nearest rehoming centre and reserve a dog every day except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
As well as taking in any abandoned dogs over the Christmas period, the dogs still need feeding, the kennels still need cleaning and the dogs need to be walked and cuddled. Many of our carers have to hand feed pups throughout the night over the Christmas period too.
