Over 20 stray dogs have been abandoned since Christmas Eve and with kennels being almost full means they could face being put down if they are not claimed or re-homed.
Castlefield Kennels in Illkeston, where dog control officers take strays, has been reported as almost full and over the Christmas period took in twenty one animals.
Many are Staffordshire Bull terriers or cross breeds or dogs with a bad reputation that makes it hard for them to find a forever home.
One dog who was recently picked up by officers has sparked a lot of attention on social media.
The pug was found abandoned on the Forest Rec with no micro chip making it impossible to find her owners.
Picture: The pug who was found is now waiting for her owners to come forward.
Laura Rowan, Dog Control Officer at Nottingham City Council said that this is a problem that just isn’t going away.
“We got a call yesterday from a member of the public who had found her on the Forest Rec just wandering around on her own.
“She was very happy just wandering around, she did seem a bit lost but she was just pottering around the car park really.”
Pugs are more of a popular breed and around 90% of the dogs abandoned are Staffordshire Bull Terriers.
Kimberley Hoe, Senior Community Protection Officer at Nottingham City Council said that the main problem is because dogs aren’t micro chipped.
“If the dogs aren’t claimed within seven days we will try and get them up for adoption, or get them into a rescue. If that fails then they will be put to sleep.”
The Guidelines from Nottingham City Council state:
If a dog is picked up and it is wearing a collar and tag or if it is micro-chipped, providing it is the first occasion it has been picked up, it will be returned to the owner if the owner is contactable.
If a dog is not collected by the owner within seven days of being seized then Nottingham City will legally assume ownership of that dog.
The majority of the strays that are left unclaimed are re-homed but in certain circumstances they do have to be put to sleep.
From April a new law on micro chipping will mean that all dogs will have to be chipped including details of the owners address.
