Dogs Trust is urging the British public to remember the charity’s iconic slogan ‘A dog is for life, not just for Christmas’ after a year of bizarre reasons offered by people giving up their dog.

Dogs Trust received a call every five minutes (3,596 calls) from people looking to give up their dogs in the month following Christmas last year, with reasons ranging from “he wasn’t a vegetarian” to “didn’t like being dressed up”.

Our iconic slogan is just as meaningful today as it was when first coined nearly 40 years ago, as a new survey reveals 20 per cent of dog owners spend less than two weeks researching before buying a dog, and one in five people confessed to buying a dog simply because it was a cute accessory.

Dogs Trust takes in thousands of much-loved dogs from heartbroken owners who sadly find themselves unable to continue to care for their dogs due to unavoidable changes in their circumstances, so it’s particularly hard for staff when they see the other end of the spectrum.

We really hope this Christmas is the year our nation of animal lovers finally takes heed of our slogan ‘A dog is for life, not just for Christmas’ and we don’t see dogs discarded because their owners have not considered the lifetime commitment of dog ownership.

We urge anyone considering getting a dog to ensure they do their research to find a dog compatible with their lifestyle so they are fully aware of the realities of caring for a dog for the duration of its lifetime.

Adrian Burder

Chief executive, Dogs Trust