Somerset charity reports rise in number of dumped dogs
A greyhound and lurcher charity has raised concerns about an increase in the number of dogs being abandoned.
Greyhound Rescue West of England, based in Radstock, Somerset, took in and rehomed 763 dogs in 2009 compared to 513 in 2008.
Often the dogs are bred for racing, but after the pick of a litter is taken, the rest are dumped, the charity said.
Trustee Jan Lake said the rise in the number of rescues was putting a strain on the charity.
"In the past week, we've had a litter of puppies abandoned in a cardboard box," she said.
"The mother was tied up to a tree. She's got very bad mange and the puppies are in a bad condition with kennel cough.
"We've taken a bitch from a pound in the north east (of England) which was very heavily pregnant.
"We have about 80 dogs across the charity in need and a huge list of dogs waiting to come into us."