LAST year 7,021 stray dogs were found on the streets of London and, 157 of them had to be put down.

The shocking statistics, published by Dogs Trust, the UK's largest dog welfare charity, reveal the need for dog owners to take more responsibility for their canine pets.

The survey, conducted by GfK NOP on behalf of the charity, revealed that London had experienced a two per cent increase in the number of stray dogs.

Dogs Trust chief executive, Clarissa Baldwin, said: "Seven thousand dogs found stray is a shocking number and should be a wake-up call to London's dog owners.

"For a nation of so-called animal lovers, it is unacceptable that we are prepared to treat animals as throwaway commodities and dog owners must take responsibility for their pets.

"At Dogs Trust we are working hard to put an end to all unnecessary destructions, and are working closely with local authorities to achieve this, but unless dog owners think about the commitment needed to look after a dog, dogs will continue to be put to sleep.

"The message is clear. Get your dog neutered to prevent unwanted litters. Make sure your dog has a microchip and ID tag to ensure that if he does get lost he can more easily be reunited with you."

The charity promotes microchipping as a way of reuniting owners with their dogs should they go missing. Last year this technology helped reunite 24 per cent of stray dogs with their owners.

Yorkshire produced the most distrubing results with a 17 per cent increase in strays reported, of which 412 had to be put to sleep.

To see the nationwide results visit www.straydogsurvey.org.uk.