Almost 3,000 stray dogs unclaimed by owners in the North East
2880 dogs were left in council kennels between 2015 and 2016 when they weren't claimed by their owners.
Dog owners in the North East are being urged to make sure their dog's microchip details are up to date, after it's revealed almost 3,000 stray dogs remain unclaimed in our region.
Charity Dog's Trust says 5 per cent of these animals could face destruction, simply because microchip details haven't been updated.
257 of the region's unclaimed dogs were put to sleep by local authorities last year.
Despite these sad figures, the number of stray and abandoned dogs handled by North East councils is actually dropping.
3,536 dogs were reunited with their owners, 919 as a direct result of the dog having a microchip.
The charity is hopeful that this number will continue to grow across the region, as microchipping became compulsory for all dogs in England, Scotland and Wales on 6th April 2016.
Denise Kelly, Dogs Trust North of England Campaigns Manager comments:
“It’s shocking to learn that 5% of the unclaimed dogs in the North East are actually much-loved family pets who are left languishing in kennels or, worse, face being put to sleep by Local Authorities without their owner’s knowledge, simply because their owners were too forgetful to update their details on the microchip database. It’s heartbreaking that these lost dogs will never find their way home, as it’s something which could so easily have been avoided with a bit of forward planning.”
“Microchipping became compulsory in Northern Ireland in 2012 and in England, Scotland and Wales on 6th April this year but it’s not enough for owners to get their dogs microchipped, it’s also a legal requirement for them to make sure their details are up to date on the relevant microchip database too. Stray dogs that find themselves at Dogs Trust are the lucky ones, as we will never put a healthy dog to sleep, but not all of the unclaimed dogs are so fortunate. Microchipping is the most effective way of ensuring a beloved pet is safely reunited with its owner, but this simply cannot happen without the details on the relevant database being up-to-date.”