Everybody loves holiday gifts!
And when you’re talking about homeless dogs, a room full of toys is pretty much the most exciting thing you can give them. That’s why the staff at Dogs Trust Ireland’s Rehoming Center Dublin made sure their residents had themselves a merry little Christmas.
Rather than trying to choose gifts for each pup and run the risk of them not liking their toy, they filled a room full of great stuff and let each dog in to choose it’s own!
Let the games begin!
These were some pretty happy dogs – and each time one came into the room they looked like they couldn’t believe their eyes when they saw all the toys.
Sniffing and slobbering commenced as they ran around, playing with whatever appealed to them most and then running off with whatever they liked the most.
The shelter’s three puppies all came in together.
It’s such a great idea!
“We recorded 35 dogs picking a toy and then spent (many) hours editing it to show the best reactions. One or two just wanted pets and snuggles more than a toy. The dogs were let in one by one, so we didn’t have to worry about any of them wanting the same toy,” the staff told Bored Panda.
Big toys, small toys, squeaky toys, soft toys – you name it, they were on offer.
And Porkie, Happy, Esme, Kenneth, Max, Tiny, Buddy, Sidney, three unnamed puppies, and plenty more ran through the wonderland with glee.
Luckily, the shelter got it on video.
The most wonderful time of the year
This particular tradition began in 2018:
“In 2017, we decided to do Secret Santa Paws for the dogs, where staff members bought a long-term dog a present specifically for them, and we recorded it and got a great reaction. In 2018, we wanted to do something different, so again the staff donated toys, but we thought the dogs might like to pick their own. So we lined them up, and it was the best day… the dogs were SO happy and watching them was just amazing. So we did it again this year, and combined supporter donations from under our tree in the reception with staff toy donations,” said Dogs Trust Ireland.
Watching these pups dash around the room is a gift in itself, especially when you consider that they don’t have loving homes for the holidays.
The strategy
The video shows a variety of approaches to toy “shopping.”
Some dogs, like Happy, found their toy immediately, but still skidded around the room with it in their mouth both to play and to get a look at the other possibilities.
Others, like Buddy, took their time to sniff out a variety of toys before trotting off with the one they liked best.
The room was equipped with the big, red couch as well, and dogs like Esme took the chance to get comfy with their toys before leaving the room. (And by “comfy” we mean shaking it as hard as they could to make sure it was sturdy.)
This is such a sweet idea and it ensures that each dog gets a toy that at least appeals to them at the moment.
And it’s that spark of joy that makes the holidays magical for canines and children alike.
If you’d like to help keep this sweet tradition going, you can donate through their website at https://www.dogstrust.ie/donation/ or sponsor a dog https://www.dogstrust.ie/sponsor/.
Be sure to scroll down below to see the adorable video of some seriously excited Christmas canines!
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