THE number of stray and abandoned dogs in the region dropped in the last year thanks to microchipping, an animal charity has revealed.

But almost a third of owners in the North-East will still lose their dog at least once during its lifetime, the Dogs Trust survey found.

Across the North-East and Yorkshire last year about 1,700 unclaimed and unwanted strays were reluctantly put to sleep by local authorities.

But almost 2,000 dogs and owners were reunited due to the pets being microchipped, something which will be compulsory by 2016.

In the North-East, the total number of stray and abandoned dogs fell by 14 per cent, from 11,444 to 9,899. Across Yorkshire, the number fell 22 per cent from 12,348 to 9,612.

Twenty-seven per cent of North-East owners and 28 per cent of Yorkshire dog owners, have lost their dog at least once in their pets lifetime.

Sixty-nine per cent of Yorkshire dog owners - and 70 per cent in the North-East - were unaware they had just seven days to recover a missing dog before it is rehomed or potentially put to sleep.

And almost one fifth (14 per cent) of owners in the region said they had taken time off work - on average 4.2 days - to search for their missing dog.

Clarissa Baldwin OBE, Chief Executive of Dogs Trust, which has a centre at Sadberge, near Darlington, said: "Microchipping not only helps speed up the process of reuniting an owner with their dog, it is also significantly reducing the number of strays overall."