 More dogs are destroyed in NI than anywhere else in Britain |
More stray dogs are destroyed in Northern Ireland than in any other part of Britain. A total of 3,467 animals were destroyed in the province this year.
However, statistics show that the number of animals being destroyed each year is decreasing steadily.
The animal welfare charity, the Dogs' Trust, said the figures showed there was an average of one stray dog for every 147 people in Northern Ireland, compared to a British average of one stray for every 529 people.
Dogs' Trust's chief executive Clarissa Baldwin said: "Three thousand, four hundred and sixty seven dogs being killed in a year in a country that purports to be a nation of animal lovers is wholly unacceptable.
"Dogs Trust will continue fighting for an end to destruction until we reach the day when the figure is zero."
The charity, which was formerly the National Canine Defence League, said it believed responsible dog owners held the key to winning the battle to stop dogs being abandoned.
The charity spent �2m last year on neutering and microchipping schemes, allowing 27,000 dogs to be neutered and a further 48,000 to be chipped in order that they could be traced if lost.
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