The style of carrying dogs in handbags as an accessory, apparently popularised by Paris Hiliton, has gone out of fashion.
Five years ago, animal welfare charities reported that only a handful of unwanted toy breeds were handed over by their owners but now they are being dumped on a daily basis, reports the Daily Express.
In 2009, The Dogs Trust, Britain’s largest dog welfare charity, had 285 toy dogs handed in to its re-homing centers but last year that number increased by 44% to 409.
So far in 2011, 149 toy breeds have been left. It is also a similar picture at the Blue Cross animal welfare charity.
Numbers of unwanted bichon frise, chihuahuas, shihtzus, Yorkhire terriers, lhasa apsos, pugs, pomeranians, papillons and cavalier King Charles spaniels rose from 53 in 2006 to 177 in the past year.
