WORKERS at East Lancashire animal sanctuaries are preparing themselves for a deluge of unwanted pets after the novelty of a cuddly Christmas present has worn off.

From December 16 to January 4 staff at the RSPCA centre in Altham refuse to rehome any of their animals in a bid to prevent people giving them as presents without thinking of the consequences.

But while the centre has seen a fall in the number of animals brought to them in the past few weeks it expects large intakes over the next few months.

Manager Jeanette Ainscough said: "We would like to think that people are getting the message that a pet is for life and not just for Christmas but we know this isn't the case.

"People usually get fed up with their new pets after about six months, when the puppies start teething and the kittens startclawing at the furniture. That is when they come to us.

"Getting a pet should be a carefully considered decision.

"Christmas is not an ideal time to introduce an animal into your family because it is noisy and full of upheaval, which will make the animal anxious.

"Sadly we see far too many animals abandoned once the novelty value has disappeared."

Aspen Valley Kennels, on Lower Aspen Lane, Oswaldtwistle, takes in animals from the charity Hyndburn Stray Dogs in Need.

A worker at the kennels said: "We were quiet over Christmas, but this is just the lull before the storm.

"We expect to be very busy over the next couple of months dealing with the large number of unwanted Christmas pets."

Two dogs and a cat were left at the Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary, on Bury Old Road, Edenfield, over Christmas.

A member of staff said: "Hopefully there won't be many more, but it is more than likely that there will be."