TRISTAR Homes, part of the Vela Group, has been chosen by Dogs Trust, the UK’s largest dog welfare charity, as an exemplary social landlord as part of a campaign to promote responsible pet ownership.

A dog wellbeing awareness day was held for residents in Mandale, Thornaby, with the sessions organised by Tristar in conjunction with Dogs Trust and Stockton Council.

Access to vets, micro-chipping, flea treatment, parvo virus vaccinations and neutering were provided free at the sessions.

Paul Noddings, housing operations manager at Tristar Homes, said: “Tristar Homes is committed to working with partner agencies, to support and enhance residents’ quality of life. We are proud that our approach to encouraging responsible pet ownership has been supported by Dogs Trust.”

Denise Gilgallon, North-east campaigns manager at Dogs Trust, said: “Tristar Homes has built up a commendable track record, in collaboration with Dogs Trust, for having a proactive approach to promoting responsible dog ownership. Dogs Trust supports micro-chipping as an effective way of permanently linking pets to their owners, increasing the chances of them being reunited if the animal is lost, stolen or strays.”

When a chip is implanted, it gives a pet a unique code number, which is then stored along with the owner’s contact details on a national database. This information can be updated if an owner moves house or a pet’s ownership changes.