Remembering departed pets this Christmas

Cherished pets who passed away are being remembered this Christmas in Tramore.

The Pet Memorial Tree fundraiser is packed with pictures and memories of local pets, reminding us of the love and joy they bring to our lives.

The initiative was started by Leanne Hunt, who kindly got permission from Tramore Tidy Towns to use their Christmas tree in Tramore this year.

Locals were invited to share their favourite picture of their pet with Leanne, alongside a message or memory, whilst also making a donation to Déise Animal Sanctuary.

From there, the submitted pictures were placed onto the tree and shared on social media.

Leanne says the initiative has had a big impact on animal lovers in the area: "All the local dog people really seem to like it and it definitely became a nice distraction for me from thinking about my own dog who passed away recently.

"One person told me the other day that she goes out of her way to pass the tree every morning on her walk, and some people told me they sit up there with their friends for a coffee. Hearing little things like that is really nice."

There have been around 120 photos placed onto the tree over the past couple of weeks, showcasing the true impact a pet can have on someone's life.

Leanne added: "I'm a big, big dog person, and my dog died last year, it was hard-hitting. For some people, losing a dog hits them really hard, it can feel like the end of the world.

"It's a different kind of grief. There's something about a dog with their innocence and how lovely they are, that makes it so hard-hitting when you lose them. Your whole lifestyle changes when you lose a pet and people can find it very difficult to come home to an empty house after a dog dies, it can be life-changing for people."

"So this has been a really lovely outlet for people because I think it ackowledges how difficult it is to lose a pet, and it has created a community of people all coming together to share good memories."

Almost €2,000 has been raised during the fundraiser for Déise Animal Sanctuary.

It was confirmed that the money raised will be going towards the sanctuary's facilities, and is separate to the fundraiser the sanctuary themselves are concurrently running, which is to pay for the legal fees of former manager Ms. Pat Edwards, who was recently convicted of endangering the health and welfare of animals at the sanctuary. Ms Edwards pleaded guilty and was sentenced to eight months in prison. The severity of sentence is currently being appealed.