Its then that puppies bought for Christmas become too big or too boisterous and start eating the furniture and their owners decide they don't want them any more

Deana Selby,

The research for the NCDL also found the huge cost of tackling the problem of the unwanted dogs with local authorities in Wales spending an average �2m each year.

Deana Selby, a spokesman for the group which has a centre at Bridgend, said a big problem with stray puppies always emerged in the summer.

"Its then that puppies bought for Christmas become too big or too boisterous and start eating the furniture and their owners decide they don't want them any more, " she said.

"The killing of healthy dogs is sickening.

"Its because people don't think properly and take seriously the responsibility of owning a dog."

Research carried out by MORI for the NCDL also found 17% of councils now offer a microchipping scheme.

Throughout the UK 14,800 stray dogs were destroyed last year out of 113,500 strays picked up and nearly 25,000 were passed into welfare organisations like the NCDL.

Northern Ireland ranked number one for the destruction of dogs with 6,000 of its 11,500 stray dogs put down last year.

In Wales, 18% of stray dogs were rehomed by local authorities, 33% were passed onto welfare organisations, 10% were returned directly to their owners, and 22% were reclaimed by their owners within seven days.