Don't Over Pamper Pets This Festive Season

We're being warned that mince pies and pigs in blankets might be festive treats for US - but they won't do our PETS any good. A new report from pet charity PDSA found 5-and-a-half-million dogs are regularly fed fatty treats. Sarah Carr's from there, and says it can be worse over Christmas, "Pets are part of the family, and so quite often we treat them as part of the family. We maybe have a nice treat and think our pets deserve the same. This might be things like cake, cheese or takeaway, so that is contributing to the pet obesity crisis that we have in the UK at the moment. "There is a slight concern that dogs maybe not getting their daily exercise because people are busy, or sometimes if the weather's not quite right. In some ways people think it's kinder to not to walk their dogs in the cold or the wet, but dogs really need that exervise on a daily basis. Not just for the obvious physical benefits but for the mental wellbeing of the dog too." Anne's dog Chester was put on a strict diet by White Cross Vets at Roundhay and she says it's made him a much happier animal. "He has lost 12.5Kg, he's a dog transformed. When I got him he coudn't jump into the car, he couldn't even put his front paws up on the boot to get in. And now he jumps in the car, he can run, his life is completely changed. "You're eating a bacon sandwich and clearly the dog if it sees it will come and sit next to you and start slobbering. It's hard to resist, but you just have to not do it. Having seen the transformation in the dog there is no way I would consider giving him inappropriate treats - it ISN'T a treat, it's false kindness."