Take my dog! He looks like David Bowie!

David Bowie look-a-like pooch

Lots of unwanted dogs turn up at the doorstep of Britain's biggest dog welfare charity. So do some odd excuses from the people who bring them in. With the festive season closing in, Dogs Trust released Monday the Top 10 dubious reasons its staff has heard over the past year for dumping Fido at one of its shelters. "My dog doesn't match the sofa," topped the list, followed by: "The dog looks evil and has different coloured eyes -- just like David Bowie." "My black dog doesn't match the new white carpet. Can we swap him for a white dog?" was at number three. Other excuses: "My pet guinea pig got worried with a dog in the house... The dog opened all the presents on Christmas Eve." To say nothing of the puppy given as a gift to an elderly couple with dementia. "Having a dog is a long-term commitment," said Dogs Trust chief executive Clarissa Baldwin, who coined the charity's much-mimicked slogan -- "A dog is for life, not just for Christmas" -- 30 years ago this year. "Dogs are not fashion accessories or disposable items that can be upgraded or discarded after just a few months."