Numbers game no? - get a craze for a type, more people have them ergo there are more of them about, therefore more end up in rescues. Then add the blip for types that are a PITA if they don't get excercised properly...

It's also getting harder and harder to find places to rent allowing pets - I've been stuck in the predicament myself of being desperate to move away from a landlord who seemed to be allergic to repairing stuff, but finding letting agents wouldn't even entertain making a phonecall to a landlord to see if he'd consider an aging slightly wonky moggy... in the end we did have to buy to get around it (and acquire a dog as well).

We were in the position to be able to do that, or grit our teeth, stay put and pray the roof didn't leak and wreck MORE of my clothes but these days I can actually understand people who are having to move (because landlords want to sell their current home or whatever) and are struggling to find somewhere pet-friendly to move onto. As a last resort I was lucky that I could have always had my mum as a safety net to temp-home the cat if I'd needed but if you don't have that - it's hard going. Wouldn't have got the dog if we were still renting to be honest - finding places with the cat was hard enough.

I wish more people would put A LOT of thought into getting a dog, then whether a ''designer dog or not'', a lot less dogs would end up in rescue centres.
i've moved six times over the last 20 yrs and wouldn't dream of getting rid of any of my animals , one of the first things i would do when considering a move is to find out if pets are allowed, if not, then i simply didn't move.

I saw an ad in our local paper a few weeks back that just made me cry...........

Staffy 12mths old, no longer wanted as he won't get along with our new puppy, £200

I'm not a violent person but I could give this person more than just a slap! this is the sort of person who needs to be banned from owning pets

I read sometime last year that more chihuahuas were coming into rescues in the USA (particularly California) than any other breed. No doubt thanks to airheads copying that waste of space Paris Hilton.

I have a 'Jug' or mongrel to us. He is gorgeous and very cute but a very difficult dog to own. He is fear aggressive with adults ( but amazing with kids!?) and extremely hyper. He is a JRT in a pug body! He has taken ages to house train and still has the odd accident (he is 18mths).
He will chew anything he gets his teeth on and that has been A LOT in the last 18mths!

Put this kind of dog in a home that are looking for a designer accessory and they will be running straight for the rescue centre!

However we all adore him and would never let him go despite the amount of stuff that I have lost!!

Bloody well said!!

Maisie has been marked as reserved ,,

Even more heartbreaking was the 15 year old dog turned in to the shelter I volunteered at for the exact same reason. That and the fact the kids preferred the puppy becuase it would play with them. There's a special place in hell for the people who do this.

Why the hell don't the parents buy them one of those Tamgotchi type "pets".