ANIMAL sanctuaries in the North-East are already over-run by unwanted pets - a crisis highlighted in the past few days with a series of incidents of animals being dumped by their owners.

And shelter managers have warned the situation could get even worse as people continue to abandon pets given as Christmas presents.

Animal centre staff have been working flat out over the festive season and many centres are now full - but volunteers say they will do their best to deal with any more animals in distress.

Catherine Gillie, centre manager of the National Canine Defence League in Darlington, said: "The situation here is absolutely terrible.

"All the kennels are full and we have a waiting list of people wanting to bring their dogs in.

"If you are seriously thinking about getting a dog, please don't go straight to a pet shop or breeder, please give these dogs a second chance in life and consider getting a rescue dog.

"The terrible thing is that we are expecting to get even more dogs in the New Year, when people start to abandon puppies that have been bought as Christmas presents."

It is not just dogs which are being abandoned or neglected - cat shelters have also been experiencing problems.

Marina Dowson, a coordinator for the Cats' Protection League at Norton, near Malton, North Yorkshire, said her shelter for cats is overcrowded with 29 unwanted pets.

She said: "Please, please do not turn them out on to the streets.

"Although every shelter in the region is full, you can still contact ourselves for cats or the RSPCA for other animals and we will try our best to find them a temporary home."

The Darlington branch of the National Animal Sanctuaries Support League, said it may well double the number of dogs it usually looks after as pets given as presents are given away.

Volunteer Pauline Wilson said: "Our numbers do go up at this time of year. People get puppies and then get caught up in all the hype of Christmas and the animal becomes surplus to their requirements.

"We give the same message out every year, but there is still a section of people that put no thought into their actions and just go ahead and buy a puppy, often as a surprise."

The RSPCA said it has dealt with dozens of shocking cases of abandoned animals this year, many of which are cruelly left to die, such as the two puppies found shivering on Christmas Day in Ferryhill.

Tony Crittenden, chief officer of the RSPCA inspectorate, said: "Some people go away without making proper provision for their pets or dump them to make way for relatives.

"Others simply tire of their pets or abandon them when they get sick.