LIFE can be 'wuff' when you're an unwanted dog but this pooch is hoping to find a new home soon.

'Lady' is resident at Station House kennels, Coppice Lane, Heapey, where she's one of several animals waiting for a new home.

Kennel maid Andrea Bentham explained: "At the moment we have about 15 dogs, aged three months and upwards. They are mainly mongrels but we get all sorts of dog, from chihuahuas to great danes."

Some of them at the kennels are strays, others from broken homes. "We get a lot from the police station, and from people who don't want them any more," said Andrea. "It's surprising the stories you hear. We have heard them all -- like people are splitting up, or the dog is destructive -- but probably 90 per cent of the dogs have done nothing wrong."

Strays are kept at the kennels for at least one week -- to give owners time to track down and collect their missing pets. After that, they may be found new owners. But there is no saying when a new home will be found -- it can depend on things like the animal's size, age, and whether it is a mongrel or a pedigree. Andrea said: "To me they are all lovely, but some people come down and only want a certain one." According to her, many strays are brought to the kennels during the pre-Christmas rush. "People seem to get rid of the dogs before Christmas, and get ready for new ones. Or they just can't be bothered with a dog at Christmas," she said.

And Spring can be busy, as puppies bought for Christmas can become unwanted toys by March. "People can cope with a little puppy -- it's when they start teething they start chucking them out," she said.

But Andrea reckons people don't buy dogs as presents nowadays. "It's not like the old days. A lot of people wait until after Christmas."

But for dogs seeking new owners, a fresh start cannot come soon enough. Although a dog can stay for as long as it takes, there is a limit.

"We keep them in as long as possible," Andrea said. "The only reason we put a dog down is if it is poorly, or if it gets distressed. You can't keep a dog in a kennel for life." KENNEL maid Andrea Bentham with homeless hound Lady