A LEADING dog welfare charity has warned of an imminent crisis with a record number of owners asking the charity to take in their dogs.

The Dogs Trust received 4,370 handover requests in July - the highest level since records began and the trend is increasing.

Owen Sharp, Dogs Trust CEO, said: “The UK is fast heading towards a situation in which, due to the cost-of-living crisis, we’ll have a surplus of dogs whose owners need to give them up, but a deficit of people who can afford to take on a new dog.”  

With rehoming centres in many locations across the South, the Dogs Trust is worried that there could be a housing crisis for the nation’s dogs.

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 In a poll by the Dog’s Trust, 37 per cent of dog owners across the southwest of England thought it would be more difficult to give their dogs all they needed due to the cost-of-living crisis.

55 per cent of dog owners said vet bills were the biggest canine concern in the coming months, 15 per cent were worried about the cost of dog food and 14 per cent stated they were concerned about insurance costs.

Non-dog owners were asked whether the rising cost of living would prevent them from adopting or buying a dog and 61 per cent of people in the southwest of England said it would.

Owen Sharp said: “The Dogs Trust is issuing an urgent call for emergency foster carers, especially people with experience of caring for big dogs, who can provide a port in a storm to a dog who, for the moment, has nowhere else to go.

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He added: “If you can help, we urge you to get in touch with us and help look after the nation’s dogs through this crisis.

“Likewise, if you’re struggling to afford looking after your own dog, Dogs Trust will do all it can to help. I’m afraid we can’t promise miracles, but we’re always here to listen without judgement, talk through the options and give dog owners the benefit of our expert knowledge.” 

More information is available at the Dogs Trust website.