THE owner of a doggy day care centre and former animal rescue volunteer issued an 'impaw-tant' message for National Dog Day.

Abby Wright, owner of Ty Ci Dog House, on Station Road, Bagillt, said: "As a nation of animal lovers, it's important we look after our canine friends and allow them to be celebrated. Dogs are one of the most social species, are very loyal and often playful, and everything we do here is about giving our dogs the best life during day care hours.

"National dog day is about being grateful for the dogs we have in our lives, whether they're domestic, therapeutic, or working dogs. Guide dogs have been around for almost 90 years and have helped so many people. So for one day, on national dog day, people should go out of their way to show their dogs how much they love them.

"We also want to raise awareness about the horrible number of dogs that are abandoned every year in the UK," said Abby, who volunteered at North Clwyd Animal Rescue (NCAR) for five years. She opened Ty Ci in spring this year in a bid to encourage the nation to stop abandoning dogs.

She explained: "When I was at NCAR, I saw so many dogs being abandoned or given to us because owners simply couldn't cope with them during the day. I opened this so people could reap the benefits of having dogs, bring them here in the day, then pick them up after work."

According to Dogs Trust, over 47,000 people "heartlessly" abandon their dogs every year. Last year alone, the RSPCA rescued and collected 114,584 animals across the UK.

Local charities such as NCAR also benefitted from National Dog Day, which was on Sunday, with proceedings from Ty Ci's party going towards the organisation which takes in hundreds of neglected dogs each year.

Fur Dog's Sake Grooming Services, based in Bagillt, was also on hand to pamper some pooches at the event.

Dogs had their nails clipped for free, with donations going towards NCAR.

Abby added: "Dogs are the most common household pet in the UK and they deserve to be looked after."

Emma Ward, manager at The Pet Cemetery and Tea Rooms in Brynford, has cremated hundreds of dogs at the site's crematorium and offered free doggy breakfasts to celebrate the canine species on Sunday.

She said: "It's nice we have a national day to celebrate dogs. We are becoming an even more dog-friendly nation, in light of Lucy's Law that was recently passed, dog allocated days, and more restaurants letting dogs in."

Emma, in collaboration with the National Military Working Dogs Memorial (NMWDM) has secured plans for a £150,000 memorial statue to be built at the Pet Cemetery.

The statue will commemorate all military dogs, especially those who have been lost in action.

She added: "We are hearing of more and more working dogs, not just military, but in the NHS, who can detect diabetes, epileptic fits, and it's great we are finding out more and more about how intelligent they are. It's essential these dogs are getting a thank you for their distinction in service."