​Survey reveals extent of abandoned dogs in Scotland

Scotland’s may no longer be a nation of dog lovers after it was revealed 1,400 owners abandoned their pets last year.

A Dogs Trust Scotland survey found 1,464 pooches were left behind in council pounds across Scotland, 90 of which were put down.

The charity’s annual Stray Dogs’ Survey found that 4,136 stray and abandoned dogs were handled by local authorities between April 1, 2014, and March 31 this year.

This is down on the previous year's figure of 4,893.

If you are not ready to care for a dog for its entire life, do not commit to becoming a dog owner - Adrian Burder

Adrian Burder, chief executive of Dogs Trust, said: "To learn 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 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."

It comes as the trust also announced it took nearly 44,000 calls from people trying to give up their dogs in the last 12 months.

On a more positive note, the charity said that, across Scotland, 2,672 stray dogs have been reunited with their owners over the past 12 months.