A HIGH-PROFILE pet rescue centre is having to put down dogs who are too badly behaved to be given to loving families.

The Brands Hatch branch of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home put more than 100 dogs to sleep last year because they were unsuitable for rehoming or too ill.

Staff blame indiscriminate breeding and irresponsible owners, particularly owners of Staffordshire Bull Terriers and similar breeds.

Battersea communications officer Charlotte Walsh said: "About a third of the dogs we put to sleep are because we can't responsibly or safely rehome them.

"Something needs to be done and we are looking at local authorities and the public to take more responsibility."

She stressed the 105 put to sleep at the Brands Hatch site in 2009 did not reflect on owners in the area as many of the dogs are sent to the centre from the main site at Battersea in London.

"The dogs we are having to put to sleep are a mixture, but 50 per cent are bull breeds like Staffs and Staff crosses."

As highlighted in a recent Panorama episode by the BBC, a worrying number of people are breeding the dogs without proper knowledge of how to look after bull breeds or how to sell them responsibly.

"People think they can make quick cash and don't get the proper advice or can't sell them or take care of them," said Miss Walsh. "The onus is on owners and breeders to take more responsibility."

Battersea wants to see compulsory micro-chipping of dogs and some sort of national dog control strategy including a licensing scheme. It also wants councils to ban tenants from keeping dogs who are not micro-chipped and from breeding them.

Battersea Dogs and Cats Home prides itself on its open intake policy. It aims never to turn a dog or cat away, regardless of temperament, behaviour or medical issues.

"This is becoming increasingly rare in the animal rescue world, meaning many dogs deemed unsuitable to rehome by other rescues will end up at Battersea," said Miss Walsh.

She stressed Staffordshire Bull Terriers and similar breeds could make good pets if trained properly.

"We have plenty of dogs at Brands who are looking for new homes, who would make lovely pets," she said. "Some of them have been here for quite a long time."