Nearly a quarter of the dogs in Dundee’s animal kennels are handed in by owners who no longer want them or are unable to look after them.
Between October 2017 and October 2018, a total of 73 dogs were left by their owners at the council-run Brown Street Kennels.
Meanwhile, the remaining 75% came in as strays, with Staffordshire bull terriers being the most likely to be housed.
“Staffy” breeds were also the most difficult to re-home, with the average time to find them a home being 17 days.
One unfortunate “Staffy” had to wait 61 days before getting a new home – the longest time any dog has had to wait this year.
Brian Gilmore, a senior environmental services officer in charge of Brown Street kennels and animal control, said: “Dogs are handed in to us for all sorts of reasons.
“People break up with their partners or get new jobs and need to move away, but perhaps their new landlord doesn’t allow pets.
“We have had a few people say they’re just fed up with their dog.
“We would advise people who can no longer keep their pet for whatever reason, to get in touch with us in the first instance.
“If we can’t take the dog then we do have links to a number of other services that can help.
“There has been a recent trend for people to re-home animals via social media, but this isn’t a good idea.
“There are a lot of people who will take the dog, then sell it. The people who then buy it don’t have any information such as age, what the dog is like with other animals and kids, if it has any health conditions or needs a special diet.”
Mr Gilmore advised anyone considering getting a dog to think carefully about whether they can cope with the commitment, in order to avoid having to re-home the dog later.
He said: “If you’re considering getting a dog as a present, just don’t.
“Wait a few more weeks and if you’re still keen then look into it.
“Anyone considering getting a dog should keep in mind it’s a big commitment – dogs need walked in all weathers, every day, as well as food, expensive trips to the vet, grooming and also somewhere to stay if you go on holiday.”
Out of all the dogs at the kennels, 29% were re-homed, 65% were reunited with their owners after becoming separated, and around 3% were put to sleep for aggression and biting.
