Dogs Trust Evesham has launched an appeal to find homes for the dogs in its care ahead of the festive season.

With less than two months until Christmas, the rescue shelter is hoping to find a forever home for as many dogs as possible.

This comes as the charity reveals it has received more than 32,000 handover requests this year from owners no longer able to care for their dogs.

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Of these, the charity has successfully found new homes for more than 6,000 dogs across the UK.

One of the dogs hoping to find a new home ahead of the festive season is Cobbler, a sweet and affectionate four-year-old Newfoundland.

He is looking for a calm and relaxing home environment where he can rest his paws and snooze on the sofa.

Chris Slight, manager at the shelter, said: "Christmas is fast approaching, and we are hoping to find forever homes for as many dogs as possible ahead of the festive season.

"While the Dogs Trust team will make sure that the dogs in our care over Christmas are well looked after, with festive treats and gifts galore, we all know there’s nowhere quite like home."

Dogs Trust has been linked to Christmas for almost 50 years thanks to the phrase 'A Dog is for Life, Not Just for Christmas', penned in 1978 in response to the large number of puppies bought as Christmas gifts and then abandoned in January.

The past three years have been some of the busiest on record for the charity, with more than 50,000 handover requests in 2022, 45,000 in 2023, and more than 32,000 so far this year.

Mr Slight added: “Welcoming a dog into your home is a wonderful experience, but it requires commitment, both in terms of time and money.

"We work closely with prospective adopters to ensure they’re fully prepared to welcome one of our dogs into their home, and our team carefully matches each dog with a family and home that suits them best.

"At Dogs Trust, our dogs are part of the family for life, not just for Christmas."

For more information about Cobbler or other dogs at the shelter, visit the charity's website (www.dogstrust.org.uk/evesham).