Abandoned and unwanted dogs are becoming an increasing issue for Blaby District Council’s dog wardens as the rising cost of ownership and the current economic climate means that more people are finding ways to give up their dogs to save money.

There is also an increasing trend of owning dogs as accessories, which are then simply discarded when the novelty has worn off or trends change.

The number of dogs being abandoned as strays has soared across Leicestershire in the last 12 months putting a huge strain on resources and resulting in lots of dogs being put down because they go unclaimed or cannot be rehomed.

Michelle Ikin, the senior dog warden at Blaby District Council says:

“Abandoned dogs are an increasing concern for us as they become more and more fashionable, with owners taking them on without considering the long term commitment of ownership. Many of the kennels and pet rescue centres are running out of space. We are seeing an alarming number of abandoned dogs and being called out to them at all hours, in all kinds of locations. We have so many dogs in kennels at the moment which haven’t been claimed that space is running out”

“We know things can seem desperate when people are faced with debts, redundancy and even repossession, but it’s important that people think about the welfare of their pet and seek advice or contact a shelter as soon as possible – their dog can be put on the waiting list for a place, so they don’t have to even consider abandoning them.”

To view photos and a description of all dogs that need re-homing visit the District Council website.

All animals are assessed, vaccinated, microchipped and neutered (where possible) before rehoming and a fee of £105 is charged to cover these costs.

For help or advice, please contact the council’s dog wardens on 0116 272 7555 or email env.health@blaby.gov.uk