Many people are not aware of the horrible situation facing pound dogs in the UK. Approximately 100,000 strays are taken in every year by Local Authorities.  On average, 11 stray and unwanted dogs an hour are handled by local authorities.

In 2007, around 7,000 of these dogs were put to sleep for want of a home*.

The law states that after a stray dog is picked up it must serve 7 days with the Local Authorities during which time it may be reclaimed by it's owners. If no-one comes forward to claim the dog, the Authorities then have the legal right to destroy it.

Some dogs are simply 'signed over' to the pound by their owners, in which case the dog can then be taken out of the pound by a Rescue at any time within the 7 days.

As you can imagine this leaves constant urgent deadlines for Rescues to save the dogs within their 7 day limit, and unfortunately a Rescue space or funds for emergency boarding can't always be found in time to save the dog's life.

Luckily, some pounds work with Rescues to make sure as many dogs are saved as possible, but sadly not all do.

With more volunteers and more donations, the Rescues would have the opportunity to save so many more lives.

>> Read more on how you can help...

Watch a video:

To learn more about the situation facing stray dogs we recommend watching this video made by Doris Banham Dog Rescue

For more information on Doris Banham Dog Rescue visit DogSOS.co.uk

* In some cases a dog may be put to sleep due to injury or ill health.