THE effects of foot-and-mouth are being felt across wide expanses of county life, but the consequences in some cases really do beggar belief.

Our incredulity is triggered today by news that unwanted dogs are facing a death sentence after a 100 per cent rise in the number of strays being handed in to Wychavon kennels.

It really is an horrific prospect and, with only two spaces remaining free to dog warden Pip Singleton, that step may not be long coming.

Understandably, Pip isn't just offering her services as an advice line, she's also keen to hear from any member of the public who can offer a good, caring home.

Without wishing to make her plight any more difficult than it already is, we feel bound to say that she must find herself in a further dilemma.

How can she be totally sure - indeed, how could anyone in her position - that a person answering her plea will not eventually wind up adding to the problem?

It's not as if dog-owners don't have an alternative to the field or lane while foot-and-mouth continues to grip the county.

A drive to Worcester would give hundreds of walkers space to wander on Pitchcroft, for instance.

They'd have to avoid falling foul of the city council's campaign against dog muck polluting the environment - but that's hardly difficult, so long as you can co-ordinate the use of a shovel and bag and keep your part of the poop-scooping bargain.

The sarcasm, of course, is hard to avoid, and so is the urge to make sure that some people are never allowed to keep pets.

If you're among those who reckon that prospective dog-owners should sit an exam successfully before earning an owner's licence, crises like the one taxing Pip Singleton's mind are also propelling us towards agreeing with you.

Prevention, after all, is better than cure.