Pets abandoned as owners jet off

Battersea Dogs Home is struggling to cope with a record number of pets being abandoned by owners. The centre is receiving around 26 dogs a day - compared with the eight it normally handles.

One of the main reasons for the upsurge is a boom in last-minute holidays taken by owners. Rather than book dogs into kennels or give them to a neighbour, they are simply leaving them on the streets to fend for themselves.

Sarah Nahome, an assistant at the rescue centre, said it was almost full to capacity. "People are going away and not making arrangements for their pets. Also, people leave their windows and doors open so their pets escape," she said. "It's an enormous number of dogs - we only see about eight per day usually."

The situation has been exacerbated in recent weeks by a huge fall in families willing to adopt the dogs. Battersea says it originally put the decrease down to the country's obsession with the World Cup and Golden Jubilee.

But the home has admitted it is now seriously concerned because visitor numbers have not improved in recent weeks. The number of pets needing a home is far worse than after Christmas, when hundreds of friendly families arrive offering to help.

The home, which is open 24 hours a day, is looking after 400 dogs. It can take a maximum of 600 animals, but only if it puts more than one in a cage - a situation it tries to avoid.

The RSPCA yesterday said it was appalled at the treatment some dogs received from their owners. A spokeswoman said: "There is a big abandoned animal problem in London. People take last-minute holiday deals which is fine but they must make adequate arrangements for their pets. We try to remind people of what they are taking on if they get a pet at Christmas, but each summer the same problem arises. Every year the number of abandoned animals seems to get worse.

"Last year, a family went on holiday for two weeks and tied their dog up to a post in the garden. It got tangled and then had about 2ft to move in."

The spokeswoman said information about kennels and catteries was available at vets' surgeries, in local newspapers and from the RSPCA.

"If kennels seem expensive people can get a dog walker to pop round, or get a neighbour to help for free. But they need to check the neighbour will actually help out," she added.

The number of people going abroad each summer has rocketed in the last five years. More recently, there has been a rise in the number of people booking cheap deals and travelling at a few days' notice.

Battersea Dogs Home said all animals are carefully checked before being put up for adoption. If they are undernourished or abused, they are cared for until they are fit enough to be looked after by a family.

There are around 120 cats also looking for homes at present, although Battersea admitted it was getting to "bursting point".

Anyone interested in adopting a dog or cat can visit Battersea Dogs Home in Battersea Park Road between 10.30am and 4.15pm from Monday to Friday, and 10.30am and 3.15pm on Saturday.