Record Numbers of Stray Dogs in Britain

Thu, 10 Sep 2009

The rise in the number of dogs being abandoned shows no signs of halting, with record number of pets left to fend for themselves this year. The Dogs Trust revealed that local authorities have handled 107,288 stray dogs in the past year, an increase of 11 per cent. The figure is a record high since records began in 1997, whilst it has also been revealed that local authorities were forced to put down one unclaimed dog an hour, with the 9,300 total an increase of 39 per cent.

Nearly half of the stray dogs handled by local authorities were reunited with their owners, though fears persist that some of these owners may not be willing or able to look after the animals . The increase has been largely blamed on the recession, with dog and cat owners in particular finding the cost of keeping a pet a stretch too far. It should be noted, however, that a change of law has seen police absolved of responsibility for handling stray dogs in England and Wales, so an increase in the numbers handled by local authorities was to be expected.

The RSPCA has called for the compulsory microchipping of pet dogs to help reunite animals with their owners.

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