The realities of pet ownership were revealed at the first of a series of fun workshops.

Staff at Pets at Home are hosting weekend sessions nationwide to celebrate the company’s 25th birthday, including at its Dagenham branch in Merrielands Crescent.

Children petted animals ranging from rabbits to guinea pigs and rats before feeding them and filling in activity booklets.

Store assistant Rivers Knights, who led the workshop on Sunday, said: “When we have kids come into the store wanting to buy a hamster we kind of do a mini workshop but events like these are great for raising awareness.”

The budding pet owners aged from just five years old.

Rivers, 20, knows all about the ups and downs of owning a pet as he admits to “practically having a farm” – as he has two dogs, a pond fish, a tank fish, two hamsters, four rabbits and four chickens.

For more information call the Dagenham Pets at Home state on 020 8596 0050 or visit petsathome.com

See more pictures in this week’s Post, out today.