NEW ROSS Public Library held an interesting workshop recently aimed at highlighting the importance of responsible dog ownership among local children.

The event proved very popular. It was hosted by Deirdre Uí Dhubhda, Education Officer with Dogs Trust. She delivered an educational workshop on Responsible Dog Ownership for Children. The youngsters were joined at the event by their parents.

Ms. Uí Dhubhda was accompanied by two Education Dogs from the Dogs Trust. The two dogs, schnauzers, Sadhbh and Cónán, were the stars of the show.

A spokesperson for the library commented: “As well as being as cute as buttons, they were the best-behaved dogs ever to visit a library. They did what they were told and stayed quiet as mice – with absolutely no mess.”

Significantly, the two dogs also showcased their linguistic skills on the day as they understood commands as Gaeilge.

The workshop focused on the needs of dogs and focussed attention on safety around them. The aim of the event was to help children develop self-esteem, encourage interaction and confidence with dogs, understand their responsibility, communication and team work skills.

“The workshop was great fun and Deirdre discussed what dogs need, giving lots of sound advice and great tips about caring for dogs,” said the library spokesperson.

“She emphasised the importance of walking and brushing a dog regularly, and advised of the need to always ensure a dog has enough fresh clean water to drink and a good diet,” she added.

The children and their parents were also informed of the importance of ensuring dogs avoided food that’s dangerous for them such as chocolate.

Ms. Uí Dhubhda demonstrated ‘scoop-the-poop’ with some fake dog dirt and encouraged children to take responsibility for cleaning up after their dogs.

The children were also told about the Dogs Trust and were shown photos of various animals helped by the organisation. They were also shown photos of ‘Patch’ – the first dog re-homed by the organisation.

The children were presented with certificates and they also received a copy of Dogs trust magazine.

For more information on the organisation and its work log onto www.dogstrust.ie