Up to 15 dogs given to home daily

The charity is looking for good homes for its dogs

Up to 15 stray dogs are being handed in to Birmingham Dogs Home every day.

The charity said in 2007 it typically received six dogs a day and put the increase in strays down to owners possibly having less money this year.

It homes dogs from Birmingham, Coventry and Solihull, as well as the Redditch and Bromsgrove areas in Worcestershire.

At the current rate the charity said it would soon reach capacity, and was already turning away owners who asked it to take over their dog's care.

Donations needed

A spokeswoman for the charity said: "We have never had to put any of the dogs down, unless they had health issues or were extremely aggressive, but I don't know what we are going to do if it carries on at this rate.

"We rely on charity and donations of food and blankets and we'd ask that families who want a dog consider if they have the time and the funds to re-home some of ours."

The charity, based in New Bartholemew Road, Digbeth, said it was currently caring for 118 dogs.

It said its other centre in Coven, Wolverhampton, was also busier than usual, with 74 out of the 90 kennels full.

If stray dogs picked up by wardens are not claimed by their owners within a week, the charity said it was legally entitled to re-home them.