Mark Evans, RSPCA Chief Veterinary Adviser, said there could be various reasons for 'peaks' of unwanted animals.

"It could be that people don't want to take their dog out for walks in the dark, or they don't want their cat with tummy trouble bothering them when the in-laws come round for Christmas. The rise in numbers over the summer also suggests that perhaps some people try to re-home their animals before they go on holiday.

"Whatever the reason, it's very sad. We'd obviously prefer that people brought their unwanted animals to us rather than discard them in some other way, but a pet is a responsibility for its entire life. If people aren't able to take on that responsibility, we'd rather they didn't take on the pet in the first place."

He added that the January rise in figures did not relate to 'Christmas present pets' being dumped. Animal centre managers felt that they tended to see Christmas puppies from around March onwards, when the initial thrill had worn off.

Anna White, manager of one of the charities' largest animal centres, Southridge in Potters Bar, said the 'Christmas rush' starts in November, with her centre alone taking in 69 dogs and 80 cats last month with another 20 a day now being turned down.

"We definitely find that more people want to hand over their pets at this time of year, which is a real worry. There's a feeling that people are clearing the decks during winter - out goes the tatty kitchen, out goes the mouldy carpet, out goes the unwanted pet. Out with the old, in with the new might be good in some ways, but it's not good for animals.

"It's heartbreaking that sometimes we have to turn animals down, but we'll do our best to ensure they find a home somewhere. But this is why it's so important that if people want a pet, they think about adopting an animal from one of our centres."