USPCA says abandoned and unwanted dog numbers have skyrocketed

The number of abandoned and unwanted dogs in Northern Ireland has "skyrocketed" since December, an animal charity has said.

Some shelters have seen a rise in puppy litters being handed in after the pups were unsold at Christmas.

In County Tyrone, a box of four puppies were found abandoned by a member of the public earlier this week.

"It's worse this year than we've seen any previous year," the USPCA's Siobhan McHaffie told BBC News NI.

Ms McHaffie, the charity's operations and development director, said this was just the beginning of what was expected to be a busy month for the USPCA.

"At last count, there was around 40 pups in total that people have been trying to get into us since Christmas Day alone," she said.

On top of that, Ms McHaffie said the number of unclaimed strays being handed into the charity is 82% higher than last year.

Its centre in Newry has also taken numerous calls from people with abandoned or unwanted litters of pups in the past month.

She said: "At the minute it seems to be litters of pups, so that's leading us to the conclusion that they're unwanted puppy farm pups, or backyard breeders who thought that they could sell them for Christmas and haven't been able to do so."

She urged those who have taken in an animal over Christmas to contact their vet or a qualified behaviour specialist to resolve any issues.

"We don't want to see any more dumped or unwanted pups after Christmas," she added.

"But usually this is just the start of it and we have no doubt that January will get a lot more busy with the unwanted pups."

Meanwhile in County Tyrone, four puppies were found abandoned in a plastic container on the side of a road earlier this week.

Helping them settle in to their new home, Nicole Cunningham from Mid Ulster Rehoming Centre for Dogs, said when the dogs arrived they were "not in great condition".

"They've obviously had their bath and everything now," she said, adding that, they have also had flea and worm treatments.

Nicole said she thinks the dogs are a husky-collie mix and are between eight and 10 weeks old.

Her mum Colleen, who owns the centre, said the litter was the fourth one to come through their doors in three weeks.

"These puppies are just coming from everywhere," she added.

"Puppies left on the side of the road in a box, freezing cold, wet; they've pneumonia, they're full of worms, there's fleas - it's terrible."

In the past month, Colleen said, about 40 dogs, including 14 puppies, have been brought to the centre in Stewartstown.

Many are left scared because they haven't been handled correctly, she added.

"For the first week that you're working with those wee puppies, they do everything they have to in that wee bed because they don't realise they can come out because they've been in such a small, cramped space.

"It's awful."

Ms McHaffie told BBC NI's Evening Extra programme stronger legislation is needed to deal with "deliberate acts of cruelty and neglect" of animals in Northern Ireland.

More regulation is also needed around the breeding of animals for sale, she added, saying the region is "well behind the rest of the UK".