9:56am Tuesday 13th January 2009
By Andy Carswell
A CHARITY which helps re-home dogs has said pets could be put down if they are unable to find a new owner for them.
The Chiltern Dog Rescue centre, near Chesham, usually finds homes for between 400 and 500 canines each year.
But centre manager Sara Muncke said staff have been receiving double the number of calls they usually get from people unable to look after their dogs.
She said it was mainly down to the credit crunch, as people are no longer able to afford to keep their pets.
But she added “large numbers” of dogs were having to be put down by charities nationwide as there are so few people coming forward to take them in.
Ms Muncke said: “Normally Christmas time is a watershed but this year it’s the economic climate. It’s been hitting people before Christmas and it’s getting worse and worse.
“The problem is there are far more dogs looking for homes than there are opportunities to re-home them.
“It’s been escalating, we’ve noticed an increase from last July and we’ve probably had in excess of 900 applications.
“The hardest hit are dogs where they would have stayed if it wasn’t for the economic climate. Some people can’t afford medication for older animals, or people have gone back to work so the dogs are left for eight, 12, 16 hours.”
She added however people should be “cautious” before deciding to take in a dog.
She said: “What people need to recognise is they shouldn’t take a dog on lightly. Our advice is be very cautious about taking dogs on. People might take them on in good faith but then find they are not suited to the home and they have to move the dog on.”
l Can you help find a new home for one of the dogs at the rescue centre? Contact them on 01442 876009.
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