Misunderstanding surrounding Dogs Trust Glasgow / Glasgow Evening Times article

An article published by the Glasgow Evening Times has lead to some concerned calls to Dogs Trust Glasgow from supporters worried that we have changed our policy to never put a healthy dog down. This is decidely not the case. We continue to offer a safe haven to all the dogs in our care for as long as is necessary to find them a home.

The article, entitled "PETS SUFFER IN KENNEL CRISIS: Dogs get put down as home is so full", actually pointed out that Dogs Trust Glasgow is so busy that it is having to turn dogs away; these dogs might end up in council pounds or other centres where they might be put down if a suitable home cannot be found swiftly. With the best will (and staff) in the world, there is only room for a certain number of dogs at each Centre.

Although all our Centres try to accommodate the unclaimed strays from their local area, they all have waiting lists for other dogs. The sad reality is that each Centre is offered many more dogs than it can possibly take and has to turn away dogs each and every day, simply because there is not enough room for them all. Nobody enjoys making this thoroughly unenviable choice but all the Rehoming Centres have to make such decisions every single day of the year.

In the past, volunteers and canine carers have taken some dogs home with them temporarily when the kennels have been full; everyone is dedicated to helping as many dogs as is possible given available resources. Our Stray Dogs Report highlights the extent of dog destruction through local authorities and helps us identify ways to improve the situation on all fronts: by educating owners to be more responsible, through neutering campaigns to reduce unwanted litters, by encouraging microchipping to make it easier for lost dogs to be reunited with their owners and much more.

Having said that, the situation is improving gradually all the time. Thanks to the generosity of our supporters and volunteers, the number of stray dogs is slowly dropping and last year Dogs Trust was able to care for over 16,000 dogs, over 14,000 of which were rehomed over the course of the year. We now have 17 Centres around the country, as well as Oakfield Old Dogs Home on the Dogs Trust Roden site, and work has just begun on Dogs Trust Dublin.

Please be reassured that no matter what the situation, Dogs Trust will never change the key message in its mission statement; the charity continues to work towards the day when all dogs have a happy life, free from the threat of unnecessary destruction.

Stray Dogs Report 2008: Video

A video highlighting the results of our Stray Dogs Report 2008.



You can also find this video on Flickr.

Dogs Trust Stray Dogs Report 2008: Eighteen stray dogs put to sleep every day

Dogs Trust's eleventh annual Stray Dogs Report¹ has revealed that an estimated 96,892 stray dogs were taken in by local councils in the UK last year, 6,710 of which were put to sleep for want of a home. In fact, on average, eighteen dogs are put to sleep every day².

Despite the sustained efforts of animal welfare organisations and local authorities, on average 11 stray and unwanted dogs are handled by local authorities every hour.

• Five are reunited with their owners
• Three are taken to welfare organisations
• One is rehomed by the local authority
• And every 80 minutes, a dog is put to sleep.

Please consider visiting your local rescue centre before splashing the cash on a rental Rover.

Dogs Trust's Chief Executive, Clarissa Baldwin, explains that there is still much to be done:

"This is the first year that the number of stray dogs in the UK has dropped below 100,000. But this is still far too high a figure - it's 6,000 more than the number of seats at Wembley! For a nation of so-called animal lovers, it is unacceptable that pets are being treated as throwaway commodities. Dog ownership is a privilege, not a right.

"Dogs Trust is working closely with local authorities and runs extensive education, neutering and microchipping campaigns to help them tackle the issue. As a result the number of stray dogs has dropped gradually in the past ten years.

"However, the onus remains on owners to accept their responsibility. Get your dog neutered and microchipped and ensure he is wearing an ID tag so that if he is lost he can be reuinited with you more easily."

To learn more about adopting a dog from Dogs Trust, please visit our website.


¹Conducted by GfK NOP on behalf of Dogs Trust.
²Some of these will have been euthanised because of aggression or illness.

National Microchipping Month: have you microchipped your pet yet?

One in three lost dog reunions happens thanks to microchips.

In a call-to-action marking the beginning of National Microchipping Month (June 1-30), Dogs Trust is urging those owners who have not microchipped their dog to make it their number one priority.

A tiny chip coded with a unique reference number is implanted via injection just under the skin between the shoulder blades. A hand-held scanner held over the area can identify the number which corresponds to a database of owner contact details.

As painless and brief as a normal jab, this procedure now accounts for 32% of dogs being reunited with their owners, a massive rise from 7% in 1999. Microchipping overtook the ID disc in effectiveness five years ago!*

This only represents a proportion of the lost dogs that were returned home, and does not reflect the overall numbers of strays in the UK. According to the last survey the total number has, sadly, increased.

Dogs Trust Chief Executive Clarissa Baldwin comments:

“Of the hundreds of stray dogs that come to our centres, it is heartbreaking to think that many once had loving homes.

“More and more dog owners are aware that microchipping is the most effective and proactive means of ensuring a lost pooch will be returned.

“If you haven’t had your pet microchipped, make this the month to do it. Dogs go missing all the time, for all sorts of reasons, and microchipping is by far the best precaution you can take to ensure your furry friend doesn’t end up on the streets, or even being put to sleep.”

Owners can expect to pay £20-£30 for microchipping at their local vets’ or £10 at our 17 Dogs Trust Rehoming Centres. You can find your nearest Centre by calling us on 020 8837 0006 or visiting www.dogstrust.org.uk.

All dogs adopted from our Centres are microchipped, neutered, vaccinated and health-checked before being released to their new owners.

*Please note that a collar and ID tag are required for dogs out in public under UK law.