A DOG rescue centre fears more animals than ever could be abandoned this Christmas because of the impact of the credit crunch.

With families in south Bucks struggling to make ends meet, it said dogs could be an expense too far.

And already Stokenchurch Dog Rescue reports it has taken dogs on as a result of families having to move into rented accommodation.

This follows our report in October the Horse Trust charity in Speen had been struggling to cope after being inundated by calls from horse owners who could no longer afford to keep their animals.

Geoff Perfitt, spokesman for the Dog Rescue centre, said: “ Lately there have been some dogs brought in because their heartbroken owners have lost their jobs and therefore have less income, or are moving to different accommodation.”

Susan Berryman, dog welfare manager at the centre in Oxford Road, agreed the biggest problem was people having to move home.

She said: “Some people are downsizing, and they can't take the dogs into rented accommodation – landlords don't like the dogs.

That's where we're getting affected.”

She said usually dogs given as Christmas presents which are later given up usually do so several weeks after the festive period.

She said: “Generally it becomes a problem in late February, early March, when dogs are getting to the chewy stage. When they're all cute like they are when they're first bought as a present they're easy, but wait until they're four months old.”

She said the centre itself had taken calls from people hoping to buy animals as presents.

But she added another big concern would be that people didn't realise how expensive the animals are, particularly in light of the current economic downturn.

She said: “I think they buy them as presents and the people who are accepting them may not really want them. They have got to have the money to pay for vet bills, insurance, food, etc.

“It is a concern with regard to the credit crunch. I would say all the costs could be a problem.”

Dog welfare groups also urge people to have their animals micro chipped and neutered if necessary.

The centre has 40 dogs in its kennels, and says it hopes people will adopt their four-legged guests, but it also wants to make they do not want to do it on impulse.

Mr Perfitt said: “We do not want to put you off having a dog but sadly every year we have unwanted pets brought to us. Dogs are not throwaway commodities.”

In October we reported the Horse Trust charity in Speen said it was expecting 122 horses to be re-homed there by the end of the year – some of these because people could not afford their upkeep.

The charity feared if new homes were not found for the animals, they were at risk of being put down. After the initial report, however, the charity said it had received calls from people offering to re-home some of the horses.