RECORDS have been broken at a popular dog rehoming centre with the most ever hounds rehomed in a year.

The Sadberge-based site broke its own rehoming record, with 1,214 canine four-legged residents finding homes in 2017.

The previous record stood at 1,159 dogs rehomed.

The last and 1,214th dog to be rehomed from the centre in 2017 was six-year-old crossbreed Nico, who had been at the centre for three months before being spotted by a family.

Jake Flatman, assistant manager at Dogs Trust Darlington, said: “Last year was a great year for lots of dogs at the Darlington rehoming centre, however we hope 2018 will bring even more joy for canine residents still waiting for their special someone.

“This year our slogan, 'A dog is for life, not just for Christmas', celebrates its 40th anniversary, so we want to do everything possible to keep Dogs Trust at the forefront of peoples’ minds so that if they are thinking about getting a pet dog, they will consider adopting a rescue dog.

"It is important that any dog that comes into our care gets every opportunity to find a home, as they will make great companions for the right families.”