Seven dogs are currently awaiting adoption at the Ballymena rehoming centre, located at 60 Teeshan Road.
And while the message that a dog is for life, not just for Christmas continues to be as important as ever, the charity is also highlighting the plight that many stray dogs will be facing this winter.
Campaigns such as the festive ‘miracle’ appeal will go towards all areas of the Dogs Trust's work and help care for dogs where the need is greatest.
The organisation has also recently made a number of changes to its adoption process, replacing its old system that required potential adopters to apply separately for each dog they were interested in. "Sometimes we were able to look for other matches if that dog wasn’t suitable, but not always,” the organisation said.
“With our new system, we’ll still ask you to apply to adopt from us so we can find out all about you, your home and lifestyle. We’ll use that information to look at all available dogs at your local centres and try to find a great match for you.
"We’ll keep your application open for three months and keep looking for a suitable dog to introduce you to. If for some reason we don’t find the right dog in that time, you can reapply, and we’ll keep looking.”
1. Desmond
A handsome six-month-old border collie, Desmond is super fun, energetic, intelligent and a firm favourite with the staff. He has the beginnings of lots of cool tricks and will definitely want an owner who can keep up with his energy and brains. He will need plenty of physical and mental stimulation to prevent him from becoming bored - a true border collie! Photo: Dogs Trust
2. Wolfie
Wolfie is a special girl who has been through a lot in her short life, but with the help of her foster carers and their dogs she has grown in confidence, integrated well into their lives and is now ready to find a home to call her own. She is looking for a calm and quiet home who are happy to dedicate their time and patience to her by working alongside the Dogs Trust training and behavioural team for guidance and in return, will be rewarded with a very sweet dog whose character shines through. Photo: Dogs Trust
3. Brymns
Brymns is a playful 9-month-old Cockapoo who is ready for his big adventure in his forever home. He has no history of living in a home, so his adopters will need to be patient and understanding while he settles in and works hard on his house training. Brymns will need someone at home with him during the day to begin with until he is used to his new environment and routine. He can live with another suitable dog after successful meetings at the centre, but he cannot live with children under 15 or cats due to having no known history. Photo: Dogs Trust
4. Pablo
Pablo requires an adult only, quiet home with no visiting children. He would be best suited to being the only animal in the home so he doesn't have to share the limelight. Pablo can be quite apprehensive meeting new people so potential adopters must be willing to visit him multiple times so he can build a bond with them. Once Pablo gets to know someone he is a sweet and loving boy who loves curling up on your lap. Photo: Dogs Trust