The number of stray dogs which have to be taken into pounds in Havering has nearly doubled in the last two years.

Just under 230 pooches were put in pounds by contractors working for Havering Council last year The Recorder can reveal, compared to 122 in 2009.

A Freedom of Information response also reveals that, last year, only 13 stray dogs were reclaimed within the seven days for which the council keeps records.

Donna Evans, from Hornchurch Animal Rescue, said: “It just seems to be getting worse on a daily basis. You spend a day helping to get a dog a new home and think you’re going to have a nice quiet weekend and then you’ll get another email about another two poor dogs.”

Amanda Gray, manager of the RSPCA Campbell Clinic in Chippenham Road, Harold Hill agreed.

She said: “I think it’s partly a reaction to the sheer number of dogs that are out there now, and also a reflection of the financial situation that people have.

“A lot of people phone us and say they’ve been made redundant so they can’t afford to keep their pet.

“It’s also a fight for us to convince people to have their dogs neutered.”

Donna explained: “It’s often that someone says ‘Okay, I’ll have a dog’ and then six months later realises they can’t look after it, then they give it to someone else, who gives it to someone else, and along the line it’s not looked after properly.”

“We’re just really trying to raise awareness for people to think hard about their circumstances.”

And she added: “It’s even worse for cats.

“The costs of taking them in are similar but people aren’t as willing to pay as much for a cat as they are for a dog. We get about ten emails about cats a day.”