Were you like us, a little perplexed by seeing large sculptures of puppies dotted around the capital city? There’s actually a really important message behind it... Many people rush into purchasing a puppy without realising that means many years of responsibility, love and care. This time of year sees a spike in the sales of puppies to be given as presents, and unfortunately leads to a great deal of these being abandoned come January. #ThePuppyPromise campaign by DogsTrust is aiming to dissuade people from buying dogs as Christmas gifts.

Did you see one of our abandoned dogs this morning? Tweet us your pics #thepuppypromise pic.twitter.com/g3NmTrwo2Q

— Dogs Trust Ireland (@DogsTrust_IE) November 10, 2015

In a bid to raise awareness, the website explained: "Every November in the run-up to Christmas, there is a huge increase in the numbers of puppies advertised for sale both on and offline, which ultimately results in a spike in the number of unwanted and abandoned young dogs in January. "You might see one of these dogs from @DogsTrust_IE today. Then make "the puppy promise": https://t.co/xsiaISn95Q pic.twitter.com/yKueVbpLqt — Panti Bliss (@PantiBliss) November 10, 2015 They are asking people to promise not to buy a puppy as a gift by signing an online petition, and encouraging people to consider the decision to get a pet very carefully. You can sign the petition here and while you’re at it why not have a nose around the Dogstrust website... ...and dream of a life where you can afford to adopt EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. Find out more info at: thepuppypromise.com