A DOG rehoming centre is encouraging future owners to think seriously before they bring home a pet this Christmas.

Last year Dogs Trust Basildon received hundreds of calls from new dog owners in the weeks after Christmas, with reasons why they could no longer care for their new companions.

The centre in Nevendon Road, Wickford is maintaining its ethos, ‘a dog is for life, not just for Christmas’ and advising new dog owners about the responsibility involved in buying a puppy and rehoming a dog.

The charity’s slogan was famously coined 40 years ago.

Lisa Cooper, rehoming centre manager at Dogs Trust Basildon, said that new dog owners in the Christmas period need to think about the responsibility of wnoing a dog.

She said: “In the weeks following Christmas last year we received 634 calls from owners wanting to give up their dog.

“That is so sad as dogs deserve to be treated as a member of the family.

“They aren’t disposable commodities; they are a huge commitment and should be for life.”

The reasons why some owners bought their pets included: ‘I’m a vegetarian, but he always wanted to eat meat’, ‘I got him as a secret Santa present’ or ‘he didn’t like it when we played dress up’.

Dogs Trust hosted a survey into new dog owners that found one in five in the South East spend less than two weeks researching about their future pet before buying it.

The survey also showed that 13 per cent of dog owners said they only bought a dog because it was a ‘cute accessory’.

The charity also created a video called ‘Why I Left You’ to show the lack of love and care some owners can give towards their dogs.

They currently care for around 15,000 dogs every year.

Lisa added: “Dogs Trust take 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; dogs handed in, simply because their owners bought them on a whim and consider them little more than toys to be discarded when the novelty wears off.”

Further statistics from Dogs Trust showed that one in 12 dog owners admitted to buying or receiving a dog as a Christmas present.

The cost of owning a dog over its lifetime was found to be significantly underestimated by new owners too.

The survey said that 61 per cent of owners estimated that the cost of keeping a dog throughout its lifetime would be much less than the average of £10,000.

Last year these issues resulted in an average 19 calls per day after Christmas from owners who wish to rehome their dog.

Lisa said “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’.

“We still see dogs discarded because their owners have not considered the lifetime commitment of dog ownership.”

Dogs Trust have released advice to future dog owners on what to consider before taking in a new dog.

The charity say that families should consider the size of their home, if it is their first pet, how will they cope and what kind of dog would suit them as a family.

The charity say that all information that is needed about taking in a new dog can be found on its website.

To find out more about the responsibilities of looking after a dog please visit: www.dogstrust.org.uk/Christmas2017