A DOG rehoming centre in Darlington is appealing for help to relieve its overcrowding problem in the run up to Christmas.

The National Canine Defence League (NCDL) centre has 160 dogs in its care, even though it really only has space for 130.

This means some of the dogs are being forced to share a kennel which makes their need for new homes even more urgent.

Other dogs, like Buster the Staffordshire bull terrier, are so stressed by being homeless that they are guaranteed their own kennel while they wait to be rehomed, but this increases pressure on the charity's space.

The NCDL in Darlington has seen a drop in the number of visitors in the run up to the festive season, making it unlikely that many dogs will find a comfortable, family home by the New Year.

NCDL Darlington manager Catherine Gillie said: "The combination of a big increase in the number of dogs, along with the drop in the number of visitors, means that many of our dogs will be spending their Christmas here with us.

"We are urging anyone who is already thinking of getting a dog to come along sooner rather than later.

"The saddest thing is that many of these dogs come from nice homes and are not used to being in a kennel.

"Buster is very stressed out and will benefit greatly from a new home just as soon as possible."

For details about dogs in Darlington looking for homes, including Buster, call (01325) 333114 or log on to www.ncdl.org.uk