THE manager of an animal rescue centre has scotched the myth that puppies are dumped weeks after they have been given as Christmas presents.

Kate Wilson, of the Ramshaw Rescue Centre, near West Auckland, County Durham, said she had seen a pattern for dumping of pets develop over the past 12 years, with autumn being the prime time.

Ms Wilson said: "People think it is a Christmas thing, and it is the Boxing Day syndrome when most puppies are dumped, but it is a complete fallacy.

"It is when they turn into delinquent hooligans because they have not been trained properly and they are chewing the house to pieces that the owners can't cope.

"It is usually when the puppies have lost their cuteness, when they are about eight to nine months old, that they are dumped.

"It's at least double the amount in the autumn, compared with the rest of the year, and January is actually a very quiet month."

She also said there was an abundance of unwanted puppies just before Christmas.

"Kids let their pets roam about in the summer holidays and they come back pregnant. Nine weeks later the puppies are born, and six weeks after that there's an unwanted litter."

Anyone wishing to make a donation to the centre should contact (01388) 834644.