Santa and one of his elves have been spreading some Christmas cheer at an animal shelter in Melbourne and reminding people of the plight of disadvantaged animals.
"This dog needs a home. Needs a home soon."
More than a thousand stray and abandoned animals in the city will be cared for by The Lost Dogs Home and its network this holiday.
It's seen a 30 percent increase in arrivals compared to this time a year ago.
Cost of living pressures have led to more owners giving up pets, says spokeswoman Suzana Talevski.
"It's going to be a sad fact of life that people are going to be forced to choose between putting Christmas dinner on the table for their families or keeping their pet. We wish it was different. We wish it wasn't like that at all."
