HUNDREDS of unwanted pet pooches were handed to the Dogs Trust in Evesham last year and even more are expected to arrive in 2016.

now the Trust, based in Wickhamford, is calling on residents to help a homeless hound - such as English Bull Terrier Lollie (pictured) - by volunteering with its new fostering scheme.

The project, called Home from Home, works with members of the public who temporarily take a dog home to prepare them for a life with a new owner.

Kind-natured Lollie, aged three, was just one of nearly 800 dogs which the Trust took in during 2015, after she arrived severely underweight and suffering from a skin condition.

Sarah Fortey, foster care coordinator at the Dogs Trust Evesham, said: "We take in hundreds of dogs every year and some like Lollie often need a little extra TLC and to experience life in a loving home again.

"Our foster carers offer a lifeline for dogs and puppies who are ill, don’t enjoy kennel life or just need a little extra care.

"They provide a loving, happy space which allows the dogs to enjoy their home comforts and be better prepared for finding their forever home when the time comes.

"It is heart-warming to see Lollie’s transformation - since spending time in her foster home she has become a different dog, she adores people and has a new zest for life.

"Lollie is now ready, thanks to her foster carer, to find a loving home for life.

"Lollie loves people and she knows sign language so her new owner will have fun teaching new signs."

For more information, or to rehome a dog, call the centre on 0300 303 0292.

The Evesham centre, which last year took nearly 800 dogs, is open from Friday to Monday, 12pm to 4pm and Tuesday to Thursday, 12pm to 4pm. It is closed on Wednesdays.

Visit dogstrust.org.uk