GIVING a dog a home is ‘one of the most amazing and rewarding things’ you can do and in Fermanagh there is an urgent need for local people to give these needy animals a loving home.
Simon Bryant, manager at Bright Eyes animal sanctuary explained there are currently 20 dogs on a waiting list and 35 currently housed at the shelter in Ballinamallard. He has encouraged those thinking about getting a new pup or dog at Christmas to instead consider re-homing one from the shelter.
“It is one of the most amazing and rewarding things for me to see a dog go to a loving home and secure environment. There are a lot of good homes out there.
“We have a lot of large to medium size dogs as a lot of people tend to be looking for the smaller dogs. So we have lots of Labradors and Collies.
“One thing in our experience last year we noticed lots of people surrendered dogs before Christmas because they wanted a new dog, we got quite a lot of that and we have quite a demand for places around this time of year.
“We had three strays who came to us on Sunday last and no one has come to claim them. We have had to make extra space for them and put dogs in together, right now we’re chock-a-block.
“There are people looking for pups and kittens at Christmas and I would encourage them to look at Bright Eyes.”
Nicola Patton re-homed two-year-old Jack Russell Jock recently and explained that it has been a wonderful experience and he has been a great addition to the family.
First meeting Jock through a neighbour, Nicola her husband Michael and their two sons had to wait to see if he was claimed and had to coordinate with the dog warden and Bright Eyes.
“The dog warden told us he thought he might know who owned him, but they never came forward. We were also in touch with Bright Eyes and he was advertised on their website and Facebook. It was surprising for us when he wasn’t claimed as he is the sort of wee dog that obviously came from a good home and was well looked after.
“Jock has a great temperament and has settled in very well, and runs around as if he owns the place. He sort of rules the roost around our house.”
Despite successfully re-homing Jock Nicola did warn prospective owners it its not a decision to be taken lightly.
“I would recommend re-homing a dog, but only if the people had already decided they wanted a dog It is not something you can commit to on a whim and is not a commitment to be taken lightly.”
As they say ‘a dog is for life, not just for Christmas’.
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