There is of course the old saying, ‘a dog is for life, not just for Christmas’. It seems buying someone a pet for Christmas has a bit of a stigma attached to it now, which is a shame. Not everyone who is bought an animal for Christmas is on the receiving end of a rash present buying decision. Sometimes people receive a pet that they will love and cherish (and most likely knew they were getting for Christmas…) Of course, not everyone knows exactly what to do with a new animal, so if you got a pet for Christmas (or just happened to buy one lately), here are some essential places to know in Hampstead to make sure your animal is cared for properly!

    The obvious thing that everyone needs is a local vet. Ideally every animal should be registered with a vet, in the same way that it’s ideal for every human to be registered with a doctor! There are a few to choose from in the surrounding area, but if you want to stick close to Hampstead, Village Vet Hampstead Practice down near Belsize Park comes highly recommended.

    Now if you were lucky enough to get a dog over the winter, they of course need a lot of attention and care. Those of you with full-time jobs might be concerned about when you’re going to find the time to make sure that they’re walked properly. Hampstead is excellent for dog walking services and there are several to choose from, but bare in mind that accidents do happen so make sure you choose carefully and check each companies policies. Obvious choices are Peace of Mind and Heath Walks. There are also lots of private dog walkers which you may find adds a more personal touch.

    Depending on the type of animal you have, they may need grooming. Again, Hampstead has some decent choices in grooming parlours. The Yuppy Puppy has been featured on this site before and has a wealth of recommendations behind it. If that’s not for you, there’s of course other places such as Sniffles Dog Grooming Spa.

    So there you have it. The biggest piece of grass land in London and all of the services you could need to keep your four legged friends happy!