Shropshire kennel's desperate plea to rehome dogs
[gallery] They are famously known as man's best friend – but try telling that to to these dogs still waiting to find loving homes.
Workers at Hilbrae Kennels say they have so many dogs that they have become overrun and cannot accept any more animals – and are struggling to give the ones they have the care and attention they need.
Marty Burrell, owner of the kennels in Cold Hatton, near Telford, said staff can comfortably house 60 dogs at the site – but at the moment are trying to look after 90.
She said the situation was now so bad that she was having to turn away dogs because there is no space to keep them.
She said: "Sixty is comfortable, anything above that we have to start moving dogs around and it gets a bit difficult.
"Obviously we're not allowed to go over our limit, we can't put more than two dogs in a kennel, but it is a struggle.
"The more dogs we've got the less time we've got to give them attention. That's what really upsets me.
"We haven't got the time to walk them, to give them cuddles, to spend time with them. All the nice things we don't have time for."
Mrs Burrell, who in July will mark 25 years of taking in strays, said the kennels have been getting more and more Staffordshire Bull Terrier and Staffordshire-cross dogs than ever before.
"Every time a Staffy or a Staffy-cross does something bad, we get an influx of dogs," she said.
"The owners think that because that dog has done something, their's might do the same.
"They're not the easiest dogs, but they can be very loving family dogs."
She believes the problem is down to irresponsible breeding and the desire of owners to take on puppies and younger dogs.
"A lot of people think they're going to have a litter of puppies and make a lot of money," said Mrs Burrell. "Others are too lazy or don't have the money to get their animals neutered.
"If people stopped breeding for a little while and took on an older dog, it would solve the problem.
"An older dog is much easier than a younger dog, you can take on a dog that someone else has already house trained for you.
"And they can easily adapt to a new life. Sometimes I have to take some of the dogs into our house and within 24 or 48 hours you wouldn't think they had lived anywhere else – I even have to kick them off the sofa.
"People ring us and ask us to take their dogs and we have to say no, as do other kennels, because we are all in the same situation.
"Some owners then ride it out and try and solve the problems they're having, but others dump it and think someone else will take responsibility for it.
"This is where we always have a dilemma, if we reject it – what will happen? But if we take it in, we haven't got the room, it is stressful for the dogs and it is unfair."
Mrs Burrell is now appealing for loving homes to take on some of the dogs to give them a permanent place to stay and ease the burden on the kennels.
"We want to make an appeal for homes," she said. "Anybody who is thinking about having a dog, why not have a rescue dog? Most of them are great. Come and have a look, give a rescue dog a chance. Any kennel, it doesn't matter, we're not in competition. It is not about where the dogs come from, it is where they go to.
"We'd all like to be able to see a line of empty kennels."
Dog lovers who can't take on an animal are also being asked to donate some of their spare time to give walks and hugs to some of the rescues.
