A television advert by the Dog’s Trust was ruled not misleading by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) today.

The advert, first televised in 2007, featuring a voiceover with the charity's famous strapline, ‘Dogs Trust never put a healthy dog down’, was challenged by one viewer.

The complainant questioned the truth of the statement because they believed that the Dogs Trust handed over strays to the council who may put them down if they were not reclaimed by their owners after seven days.

The ASA found that the Dogs Trust could substantiate the claim in its advert.

The Dogs Trust said it has a statutory obligation to pass on any dog handed to them to a council authority and said that the charity could not be held responsible for a dog while it was in local authority’s care.

The ASA concluded the claim was not misleading given that that the fate of the dogs in local authority care was beyond the control of the charity and that healthy dogs in their care were not put down.

The Dogs Trust commented that the advert was not currently scheduled to be broadcast again but they did intend to use it again in the future.