Merry Christmas!

Well it's almost Christmas, woohoo! And with that in mind we wanted to share with you some tips to keeping your furry friends safe and happy over the festive season.





 

So relaxed...

Visitors:

Christmas is a busy time in lots of households, and with people coming and going regularly, our canine chums can often get quite stressed. To help them stay relaxed and happy, make sure that they have a nice, quiet, and cosy spot somewhere that they can escape to if they want. Leave a bowl of water, their favourite toy, and a nice warm blanket/bed to snuggle into. Don't force your dog to meet guests, and if they choose to go to their safe spot, make sure that they're not disturbed.

 

 

 





Can you see where she's hidden the food?

Food:

Christmas is a particularly dangerous time of year when it comes to food and pets! Raisins in mince pies, Christmas cake and Christmas pudding are poisonous to your dog, as are chocolate, garlic, onions,  macadamia nuts, grapes, and avocados. Make sure all human food is kept out of reach of your dog (especially if they like to partake in a little counter surfing!) and if you think that your pet has eaten something that they shouldn't have, keep a very close eye on them for signs of illness. If they are vomiting, lethargic, not eating/drinking, or show any other signs that they're not well, then call the vet immediately.

 

 

 

 

Decorations:

What do you mean baubles aren't
for playing with?!

Whilst they may make our houses look festively fantastic, decorations can be an issue when it comes to dogs, and other pets. As well as the risk of your dog mistaking a bauble for a toy to be chewed on, wires from lights on the tree could also be a safety issue, with your dog getting tangled in them by accident. To be safe, make sure all wires are  tidied up and out of the way, and that your dog is never left alone with your amazingly decorated tree, or that baubles are our of reach! Don't forget that poinsettia plants, holly and mistletoe are poisonous to dog so if you've decorated your house with any of these, then again make sure that they're out of the reach of sneaky paws!

 



So there's some helpful tips to keep your pooches happy and healthy this festive season!

 

Merry Christmas everyone! The blog will be taking a break for the next two weeks, but we'll be back again in the New Year!:)

Santa Paws is back in town!

It's that time of year again when we all start to look forward to a visit from a very jolly gentleman wearing a bright red suit, and to celebrate, the Education Team are holding the festive 'Santa Paws' event again this year! 

We'll have a very special Christmas Workshop for little Elves aged 5 to 12, where they'll get into the Christmas spirit with lots of fun activities, including putting together stockings for our furry residents to make sure that they have some goodies over the festive season. Our helpful elves will also get a tour of the centre to see some of the dogs who will be on the receiving end of their creative stocking filling!

 

Our Little Elves will also get to meet Santa and have their photo taken with the man himself, who, in the spirit of Christmas, will also give presents to each of the Children!

Education dogs Sadhbh and Beibhinn will be there to show each of our guest how to safely meet a dog, and, as usual, there will be plenty of treats to munch on throughout the morning!

 

Fancy dress is optional, and all this will take place between 10.30am and 12pm in our Rehoming Centre in Finglas. €10 per elf is required to book a place, which can be done via this link!

 

If you can't make it to the workshop, you can still meet Santa and his elves, have your photo taken and receive a small gift! Come along between 12.30 and 3pm to the Rehoming centre for your meet with Santa. The cost for this is €5 per child - booking is advisable, but not essential, and can be done through here.

 

The Education Team can't wait to meet you all there!