Dogs Trust Darlington puppy chaos: babes of all breeds needing homes

Dogs Trust Darlington has had quite an influx of younguns recently, including 35 taken in during the last weeks of November. They're now very keen to find homes for a whopping eight litters of playful pups.

There are Labrador Crosses, Lurchers, Collie Crosses and Staffordshire Bull Terriers all available at the centre, so if you are thinking of getting a puppy then this might be the centre to start your search at!

Staff have had to be creative about naming their new charges, so have given each litter a theme, including:

• Contestants on I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here
• Hat types (e.g. Fedora and Beret!)
• Reindeers (e.g. Blitzen and Prancer)
• Characters from The Lion King
• Celebrity offspring (e.g. Cruz and Knox)

At the centre, Supporter Relations Officer Katie Purvis comments:

“Every year we take in puppies that have been bought as Christmas presents and abandoned once the novelty wears off.

Dogs need a lot of time, love and devotion and anyone considering getting a dog should think very seriously before adding a dog to the family. Remember that a dog is for life, not just for Christmas!”

If you are interested in rehoming one of the pups please call the centre on 01325 333 114.

The centre will not rehome from 21st December to 2nd January 2008, but visitors and dog walkers are still welcome and dogs can still be booked during this time.

Dog of the Week: URGENT APPEAL Lucky @ Dogs Trust Glasgow

Four year old Staffy Cross Lucky is anything but - and she needs a really special owner. The new mother is hoping for a home where she can live out her last days in comfort, as she's suffering from incurable cancer.

An aggressive tumour was discovered during Lucky's pregnancy; the unborn pups were the reason her original owners could no longer cope and brought her to the centre. Of the ten born, six survived and have been weaned, ready for rehoming. Lucky too needs to find a place to live.

Sandra Downie of Dogs Trust Glasgow explains:

"Our veterinary team advised us that surgery would involve months of painful treatment and suffering for poor Lucky. It was thought the kindest option would be to allow her to care for her puppies and then look for a loving home where she could see out her days in peace, however many there might be."

Lucky is not showing any signs of discomfort, and owners who are worried about veterinary costs can rest assured that Dogs Trust will take care of these. All we need is someone with a love of dogs and a strong enough heart to give this lovely girl a warm, comfortable place for whatever time she has left.

Her puppies also need homes, and anyone interested in either should call Dogs Trust Glasgow on 0141 773 5130.

Dog of the Week: Raffael @ Dogs Trust Kenilworth

Introducing... Raffael!

Age: 8 months

Breed: Rottweiller X Hungarian Kuvasz

Likes: I like other dogs, and patient humans who understand that I can find it a bit difficult in a home because I've been in kennels since I was tiny.

Dislikes: New situations can be a bit scary.

Needs: I need to be rehomed with another dog. A lovely lady at Kenilworth takes me home now and again to get me used to the idea, and as I can be a bit reactive in strange situations I need very special, really patient owners. Do you have time for a boy like me?

Contact: Call Dogs Trust Kenilworth on 01926 484398 or visit the centre's online gallery to see more dogs.

If you are willing to consider a special needs dogs, please check out the Special Needs and Sticky Dog galleries on the main website.

Dogs Trust Merseyside gets 28 black and white pups (all rehomed - phew!)

Canine carers at Dogs Trust Merseyside couldn't hide their surprise when all but one of twenty eight new pups in the centre turned out to be black and white. You can see the lone brown sibling below.

The adorable pooches came from four litters which resulted in seven Spaniel crosses, five Terrier crosses and 16 genuine Heinz 57s! Thankfully, all 28 have now been booked by prospective owners, so will have forever homes to go to, but there are many more pups in our 17 centres who will be waiting for their turn.

The fantastic pictures are courtesy of the Liverpool Echo & Daily Post.