Staff at shelters have been left speechless when faced with owners attempting to swap their unwanted pet for a younger model or even a different colour to match a carpet.
Other visitors have handed over unwanted puppies because of minor misdemeanours such as nibbling the Christmas turkey or trying to unwrap presents.
The Dogs Trust has published a list of some of the most inappropriate reasons given by owners for getting rid of their pets as part of its annual Christmas campaign to discourage people from buying dogs as gifts.
Exactly 30 years after it first used its familiar slogan "A dog is for life not just for Christmas", the charity has seen a steep decline in the number of people giving live animals as presents - from 20 per cent of all dogs bought in 1978 to less than 2 per cent now.
But despite the success, the charity said that as many as 131,400 dogs are still given away as gifts every year in Britain, with many ending up abandoned shortly afterwards.
The top 10 list of most irresponsible reasons for abandoning a dog:
:: "My dog doesn't match the sofa."
:: "The dog looks evil and has different coloured eyes, just like David Bowie."
:: "My black dog doesn't match new white carpet, can we swap him for a white dog?"
:: "My current dog is too old, can we swap for a puppy or younger model?"
:: "My dog ate the Christmas turkey cooling on the worktop."
:: "My pet guinea pig got worried with a dog in the house."
:: "The dog opened all the presents on Christmas Eve."
:: An owner who accidentally knelt in dog mess while cleaning it up brought the dog in the very next day.
:: A puppy bought as a present for elderly couple with dementia.
:: The negative image of Staffordshire Bull Terriers because of their perceived resemblance to Pit Bull-style dogs.
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