A dog is for life....

We may have heard the slogan time and time again, but according to new research by Dogs Trust - the UK's largest dog welfare charity - many of us are still buying dogs as Christmas presents without thinking about the long term commitment.

Dogs Trust has revealed that 53 per cent of parents of 3,000 surveyed in the North West, admitted that last year it took less than four weeks for their child to tire of their main Christmas present. Yet despite this, one in six parents would still consider buying their child a dog for Christmas and 1 in 3 children have already requested a dog as a gift this year.

The charity fears that puppies bought for Christmas will experience a similar fate and is urging people to 'think life' when taking on a dog.

Dogs Trust Chief Executive, Clarissa Baldwin, who coined the slogan 'A dog is for life, not just for Christmas' over 30 years ago, said: “We are concerned that dogs bought as gifts this Christmas will become victims of festive fatigue. Sharing your life with a dog is one of the most rewarding things you can do, so it saddens us to see people buying dogs on a whim, sometimes based on looks alone, and then thinking lightly of that responsibility."

To help discourage people from thoughtlessly buying dogs as Christmas presents, Dogs Trust Merseyside will stop rehoming dogs from 19 December to 2 January. People will still be able to visit the centre and reserve a dog, but will not be able to take it home until the New Year.

For more information on Dogs Trust Merseyside visit at Whiston Lane, Huyton, Liverpool, L36 6HP, click on www.dogstrust.org.uk or call 0151 480 0660.