06/09/2005

Survey reveals plight of stray dogs

Local authorities put down around 150 stray dogs every week in the UK, because their owners cannot be traced or new owners found for them, a survey has found.

The survey, conducted on behalf of the Dogs Trust charity, found that 21 dogs are destroyed in the UK every day, amounting to 150 per week and almost 8,000 per year.

The survey also found that a dog goes stray every five minutes and that almost 300 dogs are lost or abandoned every day.

Clarissa Baldwin, Dogs Trust Executive, said that the charity was “deeply disturbed” by the findings. She said: “It’s sad that, though we claim to be animal-lovers, the throwaway mentality is so evident in our treatment of our own pets. It’s also shocking that so many dogs are needlessly destroyed. Over 20 dogs die every single day, just for want of a home.”

The survey found significant regional variations in the way stray dogs were treated across the UK. In the north of Scotland, the number of dogs that were destroyed increased by 150%, while in the Midlands, there was a 40% increase and a 35% increase in Northern Ireland. In London, the number also rose by 17%.

However, the charity reported a drop in destructions in the North East of England and Yorkshire, as well as a drop in destructions in Wales.

The Dogs Trust said that the neutering was the most effective and humane way of reducing stray dog numbers in the long-term.

The charity has invested almost £3 million in neutering and microchipping dogs in the worst affected areas.

Since it first began in 1999, 150,000 dogs have been neutered and 184,000 have been microchipped, through the scheme.

(KMcA/SP)

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