Dogs Trust is urging potential dog owners to remember its iconic slogan ‘a dog is for life, not just for Christmas’ after a flurry of puppies were handed in to its Basildon-based rehoming centre in the last fortnight.

The charity has welcomed six puppies under six-months-old through no fault of their own, with handover reasons sadly including previous owner’s ill health.

The posse of pups are Chico the Pomeranian Chihuahua Cross, Rosie the Cavapoo, Poppy the Jack Russell Terrier, Bertie the Poodle Jack Russell Terrier Cross, Bruno the English Bull Mastiff and Stone the Siberian Husky Malamute Cross.

Lisa Cooper, Rehoming Centre Manager at Dogs Trust Basildon, said: “We’ve seen an alarming rise in puppies being handed over to us within the last fortnight, sadly mostly due to owner’s ill health.

“It’s easy to see the cute appeal of puppies, but you can easily underestimate the level of care and attention that they require – they’re adorable albeit a handful!

"To avoid these unfortunate situations, we’re encouraging potential buyers to make sure they've thoroughly thought about the reality of dog ownership before they rush into adding a four-legged friend to the family.”

While Poppy, Rosie, Stone, Bruno and Bertie have all, unsurprisingly, been snapped up by new adopters, Chico is still looking for new ‘paw-rents’.

The charity is appealing for experienced puppy owners to come forward and offer the friendly four-month-old pup a loving home.

Small but mighty Chico is a toy fanatic who loves being the centre of attention. Quite the curious chap, he is seeking active adopters to keep up with his energy levels. Chico can live with children aged 11 plus and will need his new owners around all of the time initially, as he loves people. Cheeky Chico could live with another playful dog; however he’s not cat tested.

If you’re interested in offering Chico a ‘furever’ home, please visit www.dogstrust.org.uk, call 0300 303 0292 or pop into the rehoming centre situated at Nevendon Road, Wickford, SS12 0FH.