THE number of stray dogs in the area has fallen buy many lost dog cases could be avoided if owners updated their pet's microchip details.

Dogs Trust, which has a rehoming shelter in Wickhamford, near Evesham, has seen the number of stray and abandoned dogs in the Central area fall by 17 per cent.

However, the number of dogs reunited with their owners has fallen by 12 per cent leading to the charity urging owners to keep the details stored in their dog's microchip up-to-date.

The charity’s annual Stray Dog Survey, released today, revealed that 10 per cent of the 6,667 unclaimed dogs in the region will never find their way home, and could even face destruction, simply because forgetful owners haven’t updated their microchip details.

With 838 of the region’s unclaimed dogs sadly put to sleep by local authorities last year, these shocking figures serve as an important reminder to dog owners to get their four-legged friends microchipped, and keep their details up-to-date, to avoid the unnecessary heartbreak of not knowing what has happened to their beloved pet, should they become lost.

Shauna Stedman, supporter relations officer at Dogs Trust Evesham said: "It’s shocking to learn that ten per cent of the unclaimed dogs in Central are actually much-loved family pets who are left languishing in kennels or, worse, face being put to sleep without their owner’s knowledge, simply because their owners were too forgetful to update their details on the microchip database.

"It’s heartbreaking that these lost dogs will never find their way home, as it’s something which could so easily have been avoided with a bit of forward planning.

"Microchipping became compulsory in Northern Ireland in 2012 and in England, Scotland and Wales on 6th April this year but it’s not enough for owners to get their dogs microchipped, it’s also a legal requirement for them to make sure their details are up to date on the relevant microchip database too.

"Stray dogs that find themselves at Dogs Trust are the lucky ones, as we will never put a healthy dog to sleep, but not all of the unclaimed dogs are so fortunate.

"Microchipping is the most effective way of ensuring a beloved pet is safely reunited with its owner, but this simply cannot happen without the details on the relevant database being up-to-date."

Whilst there is still a way to go when it comes to educating dog owners about the importance of compulsory microchipping, the Stray Dog Survey figures for Central are largely positive with 15,038 stray and abandoned dogs handled by local councils in the region between 2015 and 2016.

This represents a 17 per cent decrease from the 18,327 dogs handled during the same period in 2014 to 2015.

Across the Central region, the number of strays that were reunited with their owners remains in line with last year, with 8,371 dogs reunited with their owners, 1,693 as a direct result of the dog having a microchip.

The charity is hopeful that this number will continue to grow across the region, as microchipping became compulsory for all dogs in England, Scotland and Wales on April 6, 2016.