IT’S a bad time to be man’s best friend. As the economic downturn and inflationary pressures bite into disposable income, animal rescue centres across the region are reporting rising waiting lists for unwanted dogs.

And that’s just the ones with owners willing to contact a sanctuary.

A recent study by the Dogs Trust found the UK’s stray and abandoned dog numbers were at an 11-year high, with more than 126,000 dogs being picked up by councils in 12 months.

With a fast-flowing stream of young dogs being abandoned, some animal charities admit the prospects for many older dogs and others with behavioural issues have become bleak, and say an animal’s age is often a factor in whether it will be taken in to their kennels.

Rescue centres call senior dogs “kennel blockers”, as they are often able to rehome numerous puppies in the time it takes to find a someone to adopt a more mature one.

In Yorkshire alone, around 6,000 unwanted dogs, many of which were over ten, were destroyed last year.

But following an apparent resurgence in cruel sports, rescue centre volunteers say they have become aware of a more sinister fate facing unwanted pets – offenders have started taking “free to a good home” dogs and cats to use as dog-fighting bait.

Carol Harrison, of Jerry Green Dog Rescue, Thirsk, said: “I’m quite certain dog fighting is rife around here, and when people advertise their pet as being free they will often get very plausible people turning up as family, and saying they have a lovely home by the seaside. This is, of course, not true.”

Veteran North Yorkshire dog rescue centre volunteer Dorothy Harland said the situation facing elderly dogs is being exacerbated as puppy farms are flourishing – due to the ease of buying dogs on the internet – and by some sanctuaries’ adoption rules, which bar many potential owners.

She said: “The need has always been there to help older dogs, but the situation has got worse recently as people worry about paying for veterinary care and also due to the overall number of unwanted dogs.

“Many of the bigger rescue centres don’t want to know about elderly dogs, with some saying it is better to put them to sleep, but I don’t believe that.”

In a drive to stem the number of dogs being put down, Dorothy and a group of former rescue centre volunteers from across North Yorkshire have launched a charitable network to give unwanted animals, elderly dogs in particular, a new lease of life.

After being contacted by vets, owners or sanctuaries, the Emergency Animal Rescue Service (Ears) takes on dogs from “urgent put-to- sleep situations” and places them in foster care until they can be rehomed or rescue space is available.

Ears secretary Sandra Lockwood said while the group often takes dogs from people facing desperate situations, such as house repossession, with just a few hours’ notice, some owners were prepared to give any reason to offload their unwanted pet.

She said: “One man phoned up a centre where I volunteered and said he couldn’t cope with his dogs as his wife had died. Two weeks later his wife rang up to find out how the dogs were.”

Ears also provides funding and support to long-term foster carers and trains dogs with challenging behaviour to make them suitable for adoption. The volunteers say by placing a disturbed dog in a foster home it is possible to rapidly change behaviour and learn how the dog reacts to situations.

The charity’s treasurer, Margaret Wells, of Bedale, said she had recently taken on German shepherd Maxi, that did not respond to any commands and had spent the majority of her four-year life spinning round in circles in a rescue centre kennel.

Margaret said by treating Maxi like a normal dog, providing care and allowing her to exercise and socialise, within two weeks the spinning had almost stopped and Maxi had now learned a range of commands.

The group is also aiming to challenge a range of beliefs that it says has led to growing waiting lists at some rescue centres. Ears co-ordinator Alisa Proctor, of Kirby Knowle, near Thirsk, said while most elderly dogs come from homes where the owner has died, rescue centres often prevent elderly people seeking companionship from adopting dogs.

She said: “I think sometimes common sense goes out of the window when centres are deciding whether people are suitable to take on a dog. People feel old and useless when they are refused.

“People worry about vets’ bills, but elderly dogs can be very healthy – if they have got to that age they tend to be strong and have a good immune system. We can also help with vets’ bills.”

In its first four months, Ears has rehomed around 100 dogs due to be destroyed, but says it needs sponsors, more foster carers and a garage or lock-up in the Ripon area to store food and fundraising donations. For details visit ears-dogs.co.uk.