One or two abandoned dogs have have something extra to wag their tails about this winter. They've been getting a helping paw from Sedgemoor District Council.

The council’s Dog Warden Service have been collecting donations for their annual ‘Santa Paws’ shoe box and gift appeal to help give the stray and homeless dogs in kennels a Christmas to remember.

This year’s appeal has been a success with a whole room of festive treats donated said their four legged spokesperson. With the furthest gift marked from Arizona alongside many from local residents, visitors and businesses and more than double the 2014 number of donations a well-deserved barking thank you is in order.

The Santa Paws appeal was launched as Christmas as more dogs are abandoned and brought in as strays to the service. They launched Santa Paws to appeal to dog lovers to donate either a shoe-box filled with presents such dog chews, toys, balls, blankets, food and treats or just an individual gift or toy.

The Dog Wardens pick up stray and abandoned dogs and try and reunite them with their owners or find new homes where this is not possible. Many dogs are left out on the streets abandoned and having to fend for themselves.

Sedgemoor District Council and our Dog Wardens would like to thank staff at the following drop-off points who helped us to collect the donations:

• Sedgemoor District Council Reception, Bridgwater House, King Square, Bridgwater.

• Countrywide Store, Wylds Road, Bridgwater

• Pampurred Pets, Sanders Garden Centre, Brent Knoll

• The Pet Shop, High Street, Burnham-on-Sea

• Animal Fayre, 3 Victoria Street, Burnham-on-Sea

• Pets Corner Cheddar, Cheddar Garden Centre, Draycott Road, Cheddar

• The Petshop, 1B Union Street, Cheddar

Fiona Dickson, a Sedgemoor District Council Dog Warden said: “We are absolutely delighted with the huge number of donations received through our 2015 Santa Paws appeal. The level of generosity is truly heartwarming. The dogs may not be able to say thank you but we can reassure everyone who donated there will be lots of wagging tails when we drop off the parcels of goodies at kennels across the area.

"I would like to take the opportunity to thank everyone for their donations but also to remind everyone that a dog is for life and not just for Christmas and if owners acted more responsibly, considering the implications of owning a dog before getting one and getting dogs spayed and chipped, we often wouldn’t have to put dogs in kennels or find homes for these poor unwanted animals.”