The Irish Society for the prevention of Cruelty to Animals is advising parents to be extra careful if buying pets for children this Christmas.
It says pets can be a novelty for the first few weeks after Christmas but many end up being disowned.
Dr Cyril Sullivan is CEO of the ISPCA.
He says people buying pets should think twice before they purchase:
"We find that people bring the animals on, then they get abandoned, and then we have to rescue them again, and take them back in. Post-Covid, our animal centres are full, and it's a very busy time for us. So we really would encourage people to be sensible about it".
