Sad Plight of Abandoned Christmas Pets

The numbers of Christmas pets being abandoned in 2007 is on the decrease but there are still many dogs, puppies and cats at rescue centres and animal shelters across the UK in need of homes and that could rise in a few months when owners become tired of their new festive pet.

RSPCA spokeswoman Sophie Wilkinson said: "We have not seen any pets come in after Christmas yet. Sometimes we get a rush in the spring, when people have either got bored with their Christmas pets, or the animals have outgrown the house, but at the moment we are quite quiet."

Many people choosing to get a pet during the festive season may do so because they are lonely and want a cute kitten to keep them company. Or they think if they have a dog to take for walks it will help out with a New Year fitness regime. But kittens become cats that might not want a cuddel and fitness regimes can turn into fads making the 2/3 times per day walk can become tiresome for those who haven't thought it through properly.

So the message 'A pet is for life, not for Christmas' still applies as much as it ever did and we should continue to remember that taking on a pet is a serious decision requiring lots of thought.