Owners are being urged to stop dumping their animals as the cost of living crisis worsens, after one council was flooded with requests to rehome people’s pets.

In a desperate plea Swale’s dog warden, Mel Herbert, explained how the service has just £1,200-a-year to care for the borough’s pooches.

In an online post she made it clear the service was not a rehoming body.

She said: “We can’t believe we’re even having to say this, but over the last month we’ve been absolutely inundated with requests to take dogs.

“Has everyone forgotten that we’re not a rescue? We can’t take your pets just because you don’t want them anymore.

“It’s getting to the point where people are threatening to let their dogs stray just so we have to collect them.

“Because that way, ‘we have to help’. We don’t turn you away because we want to, we do it because we have to.”

Mel continued: “We have one warden and only get around £1,200 for the whole service per year, not per dog.

“That means we cannot neuter, vaccinate, health check or homecheck.

“If your dog is dangerous and has bitten you, then it’s down to you to have the dog put to sleep or moved to an appropriate rescue centre, likewise if you cannot afford veterinary care.

“More and more we’re being expected to go above our role and it means we’re starting to sink.

“Our kennels are full. We have contingency planning and will always find room for the strays, but there just seems to be no end in sight.

“Rescue centres are full to breaking-point, with some having to close their doors forever.

“This means it’s taking us a much longer time to move dogs on, with the average wait time now around six to eight weeks.

“We know times are hard, but please think about the implications before dumping your dog.”