Dog of the Week

Robbie is a big, bouncy, ten month old pup looking for a loving home to call his own. He is a super friendly boy with so much love to give. He adores everyone he meets and loves giving his human friends lots of cuddles and kisses. This wonderful dog is looking for an active family home. He has lived happily with children before, however, due to his bouncy persona he is best suited to a family home with older children. Robbie is a very clever boy. He is housetrained and knows all his basic commands. He is also friendly with other dogs and enjoys meeting canine chums when he is out and about exploring. Robbie could potentially live with another female dog in his new home. As Robbie is such a loveable guy, owners who are around for the majority of the time are a must. He likes to be kept occupied and feel loved as much as possible! Owners who will ensure he is stimulated both mentally and physically would be an ideal match for this lovely dog. Visit Dogs Trust Ballymena, 60 Teeshan Road, Ballymena, Co Antrim, BT

He is a super friendly boy with so much love to give. He adores everyone he meets and loves giving his human friends lots of cuddles and kisses.

This wonderful dog is looking for an active family home. He has lived happily with children before, however, due to his bouncy persona he is best suited to a family home with older children. Robbie is a very clever boy. He is housetrained and knows all his basic commands.

He is also friendly with other dogs and enjoys meeting canine chums when he is out and about exploring. Robbie could potentially live with another female dog in his new home. As Robbie is such a loveable guy, owners who are around for the majority of the time are a must. He likes to be kept occupied and feel loved as much as possible!

Owners who will ensure he is stimulated both mentally and physically would be an ideal match for this lovely dog. Visit Dogs Trust Ballymena, 60 Teeshan Road, Ballymena, Co Antrim, BT43 5PN or call the centre on 028 2565 2977/ www.dogstrust.org.uk.

Remember, pets can be a wonderful addition to a family, but adding a new fluffy member to the family is something that deserves careful consideration.

April is National Pet Month so to help would-be pet owners PDSA has put together some top tips to help make that all-important decision.

Vicki Larkham-Jones, PDSA Vet, explained: “Getting a pet is not a decision to be taken lightly. Pets take time, commitment, energy, emotion and significant financial investment.

“Did you know that we estimate it costs between £16,000 and £31,000 to look after a dog over the course of its lifetime? That kind of financial commitment requires some care and planning.”

First, consider your lifestyle - are you capable of taking on the responsibility of a pet? Think of the acronym P.E.T.S.:

Place – is the place where you live suitable for a pet?

Exercise – how much exercise could you give your pet?

Time – how much time could you spend with your pet?

Spend – could you afford the lifetime expense of your preferred pet?

It’s also important to consider the five welfare needs of the pet.

Do you have a suitable place for them to live? Can you provide the correct diet? Will they have opportunities to show normal behavior? Will they have appropriate companionship? Can you do everything possible to keep them in good health?

It’s a legal requirement for pet owners to provide for the five welfare needs of their pet and answer “Yes” to all of these questions.

Owning a pet means making sure they’re kept healthy and protected from preventable illnesses.

Make sure they’re vaccinated, neutered, micro chipped, treated regularly for fleas and worms, and receive veterinary treatment when needed.

• Almost Home Animal Rescue NI would like say a very big thank you to the people of Lisburn following a street collection on Saturday 13th February 2016.

A total of £1460.96 was raised, all of which will be spent on the welfare of the animals in their care.