One gift which always makes an unwelcome return this time of year is a new pet.
Unwelcome, because bringing a new pup home at the noisiest, busiest time of the year is not conducive to preparing a caring home for a dog.
The annual warnings about a dog being “not just for Christmas”, can often fall on deaf ears.
Pet charities always report a spike in abandonments early in the new year as families realise that in the midst of all the excitement about secret reveals, cute Instagram posts and Santa doggy-hats, the actual day-to-day reality is both more costly and time-consuming than envisaged.
The ISPCA had rescued over 700 dogs this year by August, an increase on last year. Dogs Trust reported 2,915 surrender requests last year.
New legislation came into force in July in the form of the Dog Breeding Establishments Act, but the ISPCA says enforcement is not being applied “stringently” in some local authority areas and it fears more illegal farms will continue to thrive.
Under the law, where there are six or more dogs capable of breeding, the facility must be registered with the council; 120 have applied so far, “but it is believed many more are operating illegally”, says the charity.
It says its own inspectors “continue to encounter breeders who should have registered… but failed to do so”.
It cites a recent case where eight basset hounds were discovered at an “unregistered back-yard breeder who realised that their sub-standard facilities would not achieve the standards demanded by the new regulations”.
The pups were surrendered and sent to good homes.
While the demand for photogenically “cute” but over-bred litters continues unabated, many of these dogs end up having long-term health issues such as shortened noses, flattened faces and undeveloped legs, according to vets.
When surveyed on why more people would not just adopt from a shelter instead of buying (just one in three do), a quarter cited “behavioural issues”, with another 26pc saying lack of training was the barrier.
Yet for those who end up abandoning their dog, the main reason was “unwanted behaviour”, according to Dogs Trust.
Good behaviour, of course, lies with the owner, not the dog.
The cost of keeping a medium-sized dog is around €2,750 a year (see panel) and that’s without a cute wardrobe.
That’s the same as the cost of a family holiday to the sun, so it’s really important to factor in whether you can afford to give the pet proper care.
Microchipping and registering your dog is a legal requirement, and is carried out by your vet.
There’s no point in doing one without the other: the chip has to link to your details before a missing dog can be returned. Fido.ie, which is the registration site has a 24-hour recovery service, and it only takes a minute to match a chipped, registered dog with its owner.
Every dog must have a licence under the Control of Dogs Act 1986. This can be purchased from post offices or online at www.licences.ie and costs €20 per year, or €140 for a lifetime permit.
If your dog is on a restricted breeds list, it is required to be muzzled and kept on a short leash while in public and must always be identifiable by a collar tag and only handled by someone over 16.
Such breeds include pitbul terrier varieties, bull mastiff, Rottweiler, German Shepherd and some akita breeds.
There have been reported injuries and even deaths from so-called XL Bully dogs, and though it isn’t defined as a breed, its origins are from parent dogs who are restricted. If in doubt, your vet will advise.
Just as it is with humans, insurance to cover illness or loss is available, but price is dependent on age, state of health and breed. However, just 10 to 15pc of dogs have insurance in Ireland, compared with 90pc in Sweden and 60pc in the UK.
Petinsurance.ie says this is because owners don’t understand the variety of claims on a policy, and believe it is unaffordable. But when faced with a huge vet bill, especially when they get beyond the pup stage, it can be too late to get insurance.
“Like humans, the cost to insure a pet increase with age. Most insurers will not issue a new policy to a dog that’s aged over five”, says the company, although it accepts pets up to eight years old.
Once you have it, it can be maintained for life (not unlike health insurance for us), but you won’t be able to buy it once your dog develops a health condition.
Insurers will want to know your pet’s details, and you to promise regular health check-ups and vaccinations
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The following are average costs per year, for a healthy dog, according to the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA), but the exact costs depend on the size and sex of your dog.
For those requiring doggy day care, you can add significant extra fees. the DSPCA’s day care is €36 over five days, but dogs must also attend a four-week training course for €160.
Waterford’s “Inn the Doghouse” charges €20 per day while the Canine Centre in Dublin is €40 with discounts for two or more animals. Fluffy Paws in Naas is from €28 per day with chauffeur pick up and drop from €13.
Pawshake.ie is a more informal dog sitting operation with prices from €15 for occasional minding.
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