The Hunter RSPCA is bursting at the seams as hundreds of strays and unwanted animals arrive at the shelter.
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There are 215 dogs alone and only 120 kennels to house them.
Only 40 of these dogs are currently available for adoption.
The rest are strays looking for their owners or dogs that are undergoing assessments or surgery as they prepare for the chance at a new life.
The shelter is usually brimming with unwanted animals over the Christmas and new year period, but the past few weeks have been worse than usual, shelter manager Sharon Wynne said.
“We had 22 stray dogs brought into us by midday on Friday alone. It’s really bad at the moment,” she said.
“I was driving home with my daughter after the fireworks and there were dogs everywhere. I ended up with my car full of them.”
Ms Wynne has urged pet owners searching for their animals to visit the pound at the Rutherford shelter and see if their pet is there.
She said most strays did not have updated microchip details, so staff had no way of contacting the owners.
One of the strays profiled by Fairfax Media came to the shelter on January 1 and could have been scared by New Year’s Eve fireworks.
Another came in on December 21 and its microchip details are incorrect.
The other stray arrived on Christmas Eve and the phone number attached to the microchip is incorrect.
“They stay here waiting for their owners and if they don’t come they are put through a health test, a behaviour assessment, are desexed if they aren’t already and they go into our adoption program,” Ms Wynne said.
Ms Wynne said most dogs were scared of fireworks and storms and it wasn’t hard for them to burrow under the fence or jump over it if they felt anxious.
The 12 dogs profiled for adoption have called the shelter home for several months and are eagerly waiting to be part of a family.
Most are only one or two years old.
Thor, the mastiff cross great dane, was a puppy when he came to the shelter and has spent the past seven months there.
Ms Wynne said he was a loving and affectionate dog that was shy and loved attention.
Pet owners should make sure their dog wears a collar with an identification tag that has a current contact phone number and its name.
They should also ensure their dog has a microchip and their address and phone numbers have been registered with the Companion Animals Register.
Owners who have bought a dog must submit a transfer of ownership form at their local council or at the RSPCA shelter.
This information is then uploaded to the register.
