Dumped dog numbers expected to rise over Christmas

John Cullen, manager of the Kenilworth rehoming centre is urging families to think twice, saying: “Many pups are discarded soon after being given as presents or older dogs are given up to make way for newer pups and we expect this year to be no different.”

As the team prepares to care for new arrivals over the coming weeks, volunteers release reasons given by owners giving up their pets.

The explanations include:

- He kept chasing frogs

- He looked different after we walked him in the rain

- He was too loving and needed too much attention

- I’m worried our toddler will copy him and poo in the garden

- He’s too playful - we haven’t sat down since we got him

- My dog is old and going to die soon

- He was scared of the cat next door

- He barks every morning

- He wags his tail too much

- She’s seems hungry all the time and follows me around the house

- He kept coughing in the night and woke me up

- All the puppy did was sleep. We wanted a dog we could play with