Record numbers of dogs and cats are being ditched because owners cannot afford rising food or vet bills.

At the Dog's Trust in York Road, Leeds, animal welfare workers are struggling to cope with the volume of owners who want to hand in pets.

Just six months ago there were only 75 people waiting for their dog to be rehomed. Now the figure is 640.

The rehoming centre has also been hit by a shortage of people to adopt animals, with many saying they cannot afford another mouth to feed.
Sarah Powell of the trust said: "We're experiencing a real slump.

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People are saying they can't afford to keep hold of their animals and others are worried about taking a new pet on.

"It's such a shame because we have so many lovely dogs looking for new homes. We would never suggest anyone takes on a pet if they don't think they can afford it, but it need not cost a fortune. There are lots of ways of reducing bills and we can help with advice. We really need people to come forward.

We only have 60 kennel spaces and all are full, with literally hundreds on the waiting list."

Cats, too, have been affected by the credit crunch, with even cute kittens struggling to find a new home.

The RSPCA centre in Tingley, Leeds, has around 35 cats and kittens with another 40 in foster homes, all in need of new families.

Senior rehoming officer Christine Abbott said the charity was seeing an increasing number of cats being dumped. A tiny kitten was found earlier this week abandoned in woodland.

She said: "We have completely run out of space. At the moment we cannot even home kittens and they usually go fairly quickly.

"There definitely seems to be a reluctance by people to take on a new pet. We're getting a lot of calls too from people saying they can no longer keep the ones they have.

"All our animals come vaccinated, neutered and microchipped ahead of adoption so all that is taken care of. We'd really like people to come and take a look."

If you can give a dog or puppy a home, call the Dogs' Trust on 0113 281 4920; to adopt a cat or kitten call the RSPCA adoption line on 07785 750492.