The National RSPCA

Kindness at Christmas

This Christmas, thousands of abandoned, abused and neglected animals will be in desperate need of help - and some simple human kindness.

With your support, our inspectors will be working day and night, and in all weathers, to get both pets and wild animals out of danger. Then once they’re safely in our care, we’ll make sure they have a happy Christmas. Every animal will get the highly-skilled veterinary treatment and the caring attention they need to begin their recovery. Then we’ll have special toys and treats, comfy beds and blankets and delicious dinners for pets who might only ever have known suffering, and expert care for wild animals who are recovering from an ordeal. We’ll deliver the spirit of the season to all those who don’t yet have loving homes of their own to go to, or aren’t ready to be released back into the wild.

Together, we can make sure that all the animals in our care will have a safe and comfortable Christmas. Will you support the RSPCA and help deliver kindness this Christmas?

Adopting a pet at Christmas

As we rely on a network of volunteers to conduct our home visits, we often find that the speed with which we can get the home visits done slows down, as the demands of Christmas affect our volunteers too. Because of this, it may take a little longer for your adoption to be processed and we appreciate your patience.

Christmas is a busy and hectic time for most households. Unusual noise and activities, extra demands upon the new owners’ time and the difficulties an animal may face when settling in to a new home. Experience tells us it could end in tears so we may not release new adoptions to homes before Christmas if it is best for all concerned.

However, we do understand that for some people, the festive period is a calm, quiet time and every adoption is dealt with on an individual basis.

We urge anyone thinking of adopting a pet at Christmas to consider the long-term commitment required to properly care for an animal. People should take into account whether they have the time and money to care for the animal 365 days of the year for the next 10-20 years. Factors to consider include daily grooming, feeding and exercise and ongoing costs such as vets bills and insurance fees.

If you are confident that a pet is the right addition to your home, the RSPCA recommends visiting a rescue centre with all the family so they can pick out the pet which will be best suited to their particular lifestyle. Pets are a lifelong commitment. Consider carefully before adopting a pet to ensure that this pet will be loved for life.

If you do decide to buy from a breeder, make sure the puppy you’re buying is healthy and happy, and that you're not supporting the unscrupulous puppy trade, with our top tips for buying a puppy.