Back To School Means Dogs Abandoned

It is a sad reflection of the disposable world we live in when charity Dogs Trust have said they are once again bracing themselves for an influx of dogs being given up when the new school year begins.

They have identified an alarming trend which sees some families hand their dogs into rescue centres as soon as their children go back to school. Last year at the start of the new school year, the charity recorded one of the highest number of calls on any one day of the year.

Some owners give up their dogs due to the return to the working routine and there were even cases of dogs being given up because they had been bought to entertain the children over the summer and are no longer needed when the new school year begins.

Gus, a nine-month-old Cockapoo, was handed into Dogs Trust because his owners bought him to entertain the children during the summer holidays and then took him for rehoming when the kids weren't around during the day anymore.

Whilst the majority of dog owners regard their dogs as valued family members, it appears some may be using dogs as four-legged nannies over the holidays and disregarding them come September.
 
Maria Wickes, Head of Dogs Trust Dog School, explains: "Sadly it does seem to be a recurring trend that we see more dogs handed into us as soon as children go back to school. In many cases dogs are not equipped to deal with this change in routine and may start displaying undesirable behaviour."

Anyone struggling to control their dog's behaviour after the summer holidays should consider giving them up a last resort and instead sign up for Dog School or other reputable training classes.

"We hope people will remember that a dog is for life and carefully consider the lifetime commitment before getting a dog."