About 300 dogs a month arrive at Newcastle cat and dog shelters

Newcastle Cat and Dog Shelter says the capital is helping tackle a growing number of unwanted dogs in the region.

About 300 dogs a month are arriving at the two cat and dog shelters at Benton and Claremont Road in Newcastle.

The shelter says it is becoming increasingly difficult to rehome abandoned pets in the region.

But shelters in London are having trouble meeting the demand for dogs.

New owners

As many as 10 a week are being transported south to be found new owners, through agencies such as Battersea Dogs Home and the Dogs Trust (formerly the National Canine Defence League).

Brian Underhill from the Dogs Trust visits Newcastle regularly to take dogs to other homes in the south.

"I'm collecting 12 dogs to take to one of our centres in Snetterton, in Norfolk", he said.

"We've been coming up here now for about three months, maybe once a fortnight.

"The vast majority of them are all nice rehomeable dogs that we get from here.

"They will all get successfully rehomed."