EIGHT Deerhound puppies are being looked after by the Dogs Trust near Darlington.

The puppies, which form part of two unplanned litters, were brought to the rehoming charity in Sadberge to help them find loving new homes.

The first litter includes five 12-week-old puppies named Percy, Rolph, Ena, Vera and Vernon; and the second is comprised of three eight-month-old puppies named Seymour, Watson and Edward.

Sue Embleton, rehoming centre manager at Dogs Trust in Darlington, said: “At this stage in their lives, each of these adorable puppies needs an owner who will give them plenty of socialisation with other dogs and humans, so they grow up to be comfortable in new situations.

“They will need lots of additional support due to their age, so potential owners should be willing to spend a bit more time at home, training and nurturing them. We have already received a lot of interest in these puppies so can’t guarantee how long they will be with us at the rehoming centre.

“Deerhounds are less common than some other breeds at the rehoming centre, so as much as they are relatively small puppies now, it is expected that as adults they could grow to 81cm tall and between 35-50kg in weight. We would always recommend thinking very carefully about getting a puppy before making such a major decision."