THESE dogs need your help to find a loving new home.

It has been a tough year so far for rehoming dogs at the RSPCA in York.

Centre manager, Angela Hunter, said in the first three months of last year they had rehomed 55 dogs, but by the end of March this year they had rehomed only 33, which is only an average of 11 a month.

She said: “Of the 59 dogs we have currently available for rehoming, 20 have been at the York Animal Home for more than five months.

“Although we do our best to enrich the lives of the dogs while they are with us, with the help of the volunteer dog walkers. It is not a good situation for any dog to be stuck in kennels.

“Despite the occasional rumours to the contrary, we at the York Animal Home do not put an animal to sleep just because they have been with us too long.

“We are a rehoming centre and not an animal sanctuary. All our dogs are neutered, flea-ed vaccinated and wormed when they are adopted out.

“One of the effects of having so many long-term animals is the amount of time we have to spend talking to frustrated owners who need to give up their pets for whatever reason and we can’t help them as we are always full.”

Ernie the affectionate three-and-a-half-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier has been at the home for more than eight months and has been passed from pillar to post during his short life. He needs a loving, patient and stable home with no cats and is only suitable for children aged 16 and over.

But Ms Hunter said that it’s not all doom and gloom at the centre with rehoming figures for cats and rabbits up on this time last year.

She said: “If anyone is thinking of adding a dog to their home – please consider a rescue animal. A lot of our dogs have had a bad start to their lives, but a good adopter can change that for them.”

If you or someone you know wants to rehome a dog, please phone the animal home on 01904 654949 during their opening hours of 11am to 3.30pm Tuesday to Sunday.