At 11 years old, much loved family dog Sadie, has been handed to a shelter in the hope of finding a new home in her twilight years.
She is just one of hundreds of pets who are facing homelessness as the housing crisis across Ireland squeezes hard.
Rescue and rehoming groups say the number of dogs being given up as a result is on the rise with families facing the heart breaking decision of saying goodbye to pets they have loved all their lives.
Read more: Dumped dog neglected for so long, he could not be saved
Changing circumstances include leaving a family home for shelter or temporary accommodation or moving to a rental home where landlords do not permit pets.
Today we are highlighting Sadie, a Labrador cross who at 11 is facing a new start in life due to her family being hit by a housing crisis. Unable to take her with them into accommodation, she was handed reluctantly to Rehoming Cork Pets who are searching for a home for her.
But as with many elderly dogs, they are rarely top of the wish list for many looking for a pet - and to date she has not had a single enquiry.
A spokesperson for the charity said: "This is heart breaking. Sadie needs a new home. She is reluctantly being rehomed due to the housing crisis. She’s 11 years old and like a mature wine, she has gotten better with age.
"She’s well travelled and well behaved and good on the lead. And she is fully house-trained, spayed, vaccinated and microchipped. Someone somewhere has to have a space in their heart and home for Sadie, so email us for an adoption form - rehomingcorkpets@hotmail.com."
The charity says Sadie could live with another dog and in a family with children.
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