1,464 Dogs Abandoned by Owners in Past Year
More than 1,400 dog owners have abandoned their pets in the past year, according to new figures.
A Dogs Trust survey found that 1,464 dogs were left behind in council pounds across Scotland, with 90 of them being put down.
In total, 4,136 stray and abandoned dogs were handled by Scottish local authorities between April 1 2014 and March 31 this year, down on the previous year's figure of 4,893.
Meanwhile, Dogs Trust has handled 43,771 calls from people trying to give up their dogs in the last 12 months.
The charity urged people to think carefully before committing to getting a dog.
Adrian Burder, chief executive of Dogs Trust, said: "To learn that over 1,400 unclaimed and unwanted dogs are left in council kennels across Scotland should shock us as a country of dog lovers.
"Abandoning a dog is simply unacceptable and, sadly, Dogs Trust's famous slogan 'A Dog is For Life' is as significant as ever - if you are not ready to care for a dog for its entire life, do not commit to becoming a dog owner.
"This year's Stray Dog Survey shows that local authorities continue to pick up the pieces and have found themselves in the tough position of being forced to put healthy dogs to sleep for lack of space and resources.
"Stray dogs that find themselves at Dogs Trust are the lucky ones as we will care for a dog for its entire life if needed, but not all are so lucky and treating a family pet as a disposable item has to stop.''
The charity said that abandoning a dog puts them at risk of being put down by local authorities after seven days as they struggle to care for the vast numbers of strays that are picked up on the streets of the UK every day.
However, across Scotland, 2,672 stray dogs have been reunited with their owners over the past twelve months.
The charity hopes this number will continue to grow as it will be a legal requirement to microchip your dog as of April next year in Scotland.