Irish sheepdogs have become the latest victims of the decline of the farming sector.
They are being sent to animal shelters as their owners give up sheep farming or change their work practices to use four-wheel drive vehicles or quad machines instead of sheepdogs.
But the dogs are suffering a double hit because few urban families will take them in: they are under the impression such dogs are suitable only for farm work.
This week a midlands animal shelter appealed for help in finding homes for over a dozen collie-type dogs which it cannot place because of the misconceptions about them.
Ms Mary Chundee, who runs the Friends of Animals shelter near Mullingar, Co Westmeath, said she was "heartbroken" by the number of collies coming into the shelter.
"Only last Saturday night two young dogs were dumped over my fence in the night. They were sheepdogs and I am having great difficulty in finding homes for them," she said.
"I want to say first of all that I have a great respect for farmers but I know they are under strain at this time and many of them are going out of the sheep business.
"The problem is compounded by the fact that farmers are buying four-wheel drives and the quad machines which they can use to round up their sheep and cattle.
"Our main problem though, is that urban people, who would normally take our dogs in, are not prepared to take a sheepdog because they feel they should be on a farm or are too big or too lively," she said.
She said sheepdogs were very intelligent and would not stray or kill livestock if properly trained, and this was an easy task for the owner.
"Unlike the dog pounds, we never put down a dog," she said.
She appealed to farmers to neuter their bitches and said contrary to common belief, it does not affect the working performance of the dog.
Nearly 3,000 farmers are leaving the land on an annual basis, and this is set to increase in coming years because of the age profile of farmers.