Happy New Year! A heartwarming reminder to start the year...

I was sitting here struggling to think of a good way to start the New Year online. Should I just wish everyone a happy New Year? Thank all our wonderful supporters for their ongoing support even in these troubled times? Focus on a dog that needs a home at the moment?

All of these seemed like good ideas, but then I came across this post by the wondrous Christie Keith, whom I'm as fond of for her personal and political blogging as for her regular posts at the brilliant Pet Connection.

What Christie's post comes down to is that we should always remember to celebrate good pet ownership and withhold knee-jerk judgement. And I couldn't agree with her more.

So often we hear story after brutal story of abuse and inhumanity towards man's best friend(s). There are undoubtedly people out there who are irresponsible, cruel, unkind, thoughtless... the adjectives go on and none of them are pleasant. There are also people whose reasons for abandoning a dog fill us with baffled disbelief. Sometimes it's painfully necessary to dwell on this reality and we do what we can every day to fight against this through education, campaigning and care for dogs.

Other times - and I think New Year is one of them - it's also important to look at the flipside. The fact that for every one deliberately or heedlessly irresponsible owner, there are also thousands of kind, generous, caring individuals who will put themselves out - financially or otherwise - to help a companion animal.

It can sound counterintuitive, but there are good reasons for surrendering a dog to a rehoming centre. There are dogs who come to us because their owners have recently died, and the rest of the family (if there is any) cannot give the dog a suitable home. There are dogs whose owners have admitted to themselves that they didn't know enough about raising a pup before they bought one, and are now out of their depths in terms of the time, money and effort it takes to train a dog; once the deed is done, I'd much rather they gave the dog away to us than continued to struggle to turn out a canine good citizen who might develop fear or aggression issues and ultimately be put down needlessly.

Then of course there are the thousands of supporters who enable us to care for those dogs by raising money or donating goods, time and skills, or who open their doors to yet another dog when they thought that the household was already full. There are the staff members, volunteers and local animal lovers who foster a dog who is kennel-stressed, or in danger of being put down for lack of a home - though naturally that wouldn't be the case at Dogs Trust as we never, ever put a healthy dog down.

Today, as those of us lucky enough to have a workplace to go to head grumbling back to our desks, I want to take the opportunity to thank not just Dogs Trust supporters, but all those people who give an active, happy, healthy life to their pets and who should be applauded and held up as a positive example.

Here's wishing you all a very Happy New Year - pets and people!

Are you making any New Year's Resolutions?

Now that it's coming up to January 1st 2009, lots of people will be pledging to stop biting their nails, lose weight, get fitter or give up chocolate. Last night my husband and I agreed to take up some sort of volunteer work, which I suspect is also a fairly common resolution. But there are also the kinds of promises you can only hope the world will make.

Here are the doggy resolutions I hope people will make in the coming year:

1. I will do my research and be sure not to buy from a puppy farm

There's plenty of advice out there if you're looking for a specific breed, from pointing you in the direction of a breed rescue to giving you tips for recognising a reputable breeder. It can be tempting when you suspect that a puppy is being bred unscrupulously to buy it in order to 'rescue' it, but unfortunately all this is money in the pockets of those who would mistreat dogs.

If you think there's something suspicious going on, please report it to the local Animal Warden on the RSPCA. If the animals are taken in to rehoming centres you can always rehome that same pup after it's been checked over and is ready to find its forever home.

2. I will exhibit good doggy manners

If you have a dog, please make sure you clean up after them! Apart from being unpleasant for others, poo can contain parasites which can make children and vulnerable adults very sick.

If your dog's recall is less than perfect, remember to keep him or her on a long leash until they've got the hang of it. This will help prevent straying or bounding up to a person or dog who might be nervous and not appreciate it.

If you don't have a dog but often see them in your area, please make sure you ask the permission of the owner before approaching an unfamiliar dog. Some dogs are nervous of strangers and it's always best to check first!

3. I will get my dog microchipped

There has been a steady increase in the number of dogs reunited with owners who were very distressed at their disappearance but who had taken the time to have their dog microchipped. This quick, safe, painless and cheap process can save you and your dog from the heartache of separation and save local councils, Dogs Trust and other charities from spending time and money caring for a dog who already has a loving home.

4. I will consider neutering my dog

Any veterinary procedure is, of course, down to the owner. You can read more about the pros and cons of neutering on the Dogs Trust website, but we do believe that that benefits are very important. As well as reducing the numbers of unwanted pups, neutering helps avoid a variety of dangerous medical conditions. You might decide against it, as is your right, but please just have a think about it and ask your vet for more information.

5. I will consider adopting a rescue dog

For all sorts of reasons, people do buy puppies and that's understandable. If you have a specific breed in mind or want to raise a pup from infancy it is something you might want to do, and many people working at or supporting Dogs Trust have done so! We just ask that if you're thinking of getting a dog you remember that there are thousands of dogs out there waiting for a second chance in a home like yours. They'll be neutered, microchipped and vaccinated, and we'll be on hand for the rest of their lives to support you in their training.

Let us know about your New Year's Resolutions - doggy or otherwise - in the comments, and I hope you have fun whether you're painting the town red or disappearing under your duvet tonight.