With less than ten weeks until Christmas a dogs charity is on a mission to give as many pooches the best gift possible, a forever home.

Dogs Trust Shoreham is currently home to 47 dogs and the charity wants to find homes for as many of them as possible ahead of the festive season.

Dogs Trust’s appeal comes as it revealed it has received over 32,000 handover enquiries so far this year from owners no longer able to care for their dogs.

In 2024 so far, the charity has also found new homes for more than 6,000 dogs across the UK.

One of those dogs hoping for a new home ahead of Christmas is Sooty.

Sooty is a sweet chihuahua Pomeranian cross who is looking for a fresh start. He is a gentle soul who adores the company of his favourite people and is eager to build a bond with his new owners.

Sooty has been at Dogs Trust Shoreham since April 2023, after his owner died. He absolutely loves to travel in the car and take long walks, despite his little legs. He likes to burrow and snooze under his blankets and is not a fan of being woken from his slumber.

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The seven-year-old would thrive in a home with children aged 16 and over and as the only pet, as he enjoys being the centre of attention. He enjoys quieter walks as he is underconfident when it comes to meeting new dogs, although he has been known to play with some four-legged friends.

Adel Burnett, manager at Dogs Trust Shoreham, 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.

“We are certain that there is a fantastic forever home for each and every one of our dogs, and we’d like to see as many as possible settled in their new happy places ahead of Christmas.

“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. And our care doesn’t stop at rehoming – we offer ongoing support and guidance to owners throughout their dog's life.

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

For almost 50 years, Dogs Trust has been linked to Christmas due to the famous phrase “a dog is for life, not just for Christmas”, penned by the charity’s team in 1978 in response to the large number of puppies bought as Christmas gifts and then abandoned in January.

While the charity no longer sees a large number of pet-shop bought puppies handed over in January, the last three years have been some of the busiest on record for Dogs Trust. In 2022 it received over 50,000 handover requests, with a further 45,000 last year, and over 32,000 so far this year.