Sadly over 2,155 surrender requests have been made to Dogs Trust this year, and over 700 since September alone, as people returned to work after the Pandemic and couldn't care for their pets.

Dogs Trust has a rehoming centre based in Dublin, but the organisation also started a regional rehoming programme, where dogs nationwide can find their forever home without new owners having to travel from Waterford to the Capital.

Corina Fitzsimons of Dogs Trust explained more to Damien about how this programme works, assuring listeners that they will never put a healthy dog to sleep. She also said that the organisation aims to keep as many dogs happy in their current homes as possible, and staff at Dogs Trust engage with owners in the training of their pets.

She says the number of dogs being put to sleep in pounds has thankfully fallen dramatically, largely due to the good relationships between local authorities and animal welfare groups. However, Corina did add that the Pandemic has caused problems, and there's been an increase in animals being bought from puppy farms, which can cause lifelong behavioural problems.

If you're thinking of getting a dog, you have to sit down and think about how the dog won't be left alone. That could be as simple as getting up early before work and taking them for a walk, or coming home at lunch time to play with them.. you can make it work in a lot of situations.

Corina is encouraging anyone who has questions about taking care of a dog to reach out to Dogs Trust. Have a listen back to her advice to listeners on Deise Today through the link in this podcast.

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About Dogs Trust