Around 37,000 lost and abandoned mutts were taken in by local kennels last year according to figures by Dogs Trust.

One in eight of the 37,000 strays could not be returned to their owners because outdated microchip information meant they could not be traced home.

This figure equates to 12 per day or one every two hours facing a risk of death.

Between April 2015 and March 2016 a total of 3,463 stray dogs were put to sleep as they could not be returned back home.

Despite the huge sum of unnecessary pet euthanasia, the total number of stray dogs handed in to local authorities had fallen by 21 per cent from the previous year.

That figure is expected to fall even further following the legislation brought in by the government in April which makes it mandatory for UK pet owners to microchip their pooches or face a £500 fine.

Last year a total of 9,000 hounds were reunited with their owners due to a microchip.

Another Dogs Trust study found 10% of dog owners considered sorting out a digital television to be of a higher priority than updating their pets’ chips after moving house.

Dogs Trust chief Adrian Burder said "To discover that the number of stray dogs in the UK is down from last year is promising but with over 37,000 dogs remaining unclaimed in council pounds last year, it's clear we still have work to do.

"Local authorities work tirelessly caring for the UK's stray and abandoned dogs each year but there is a lack of resources and man power to care for every stray dog.

"We hope the new law will significantly bring down the number of stray dogs."