In July, the RSPCA had 1,646 dogs in its care in England and Wales - the highest number on record and more than double the number from July 2020. Of all the animals in RSPCA care in July, a third of these were dogs - with 445 dogs rescued in July alone, compared to a five-year average of 245 per month.
With many RSPCA centres being already full, almost half of these dogs are being cared for in private kennels - which, along with all the other animals being housed at private boarding establishments due to lack of space, comes at a cost of more than £650,000 a month to the charity.
Now, the charity is calling for the public’s help and urgently appealing for adopters to come forward, to give dogs a second chance.
Sally Jones, Animal Centre Manager at the charity’s Block Fen Animal Centre in March, said: “Every adoption frees up vital space for us to rescue another animal in urgent need. If you’ve ever considered adopting, now is the time - you could be the lifeline a dog is waiting for.”
Could you give one of these pooches a home?
For more information on any of the dogs at Block Fen, please call 0300 123 0726 or email [email protected].
To view the dogs in the care of Block Fen, visit www.rspca.org.uk/findapet.
5. Willow- Staffordshure Bull Terrier crossbreed (2 years old)
Willow is clever, affectionate and loves to engage with training. She responds well to commands and enjoys learning tricks, playing with toys and working her busy brain with enrichment. Sadly her past has neglected many aspects of socialisation and while she can occasionally become overwhelmed or frustrated, she is easily redirected with treats and interactive games. She especially benefits from quiet time and opportunities to sniff and explore her environment when out walking. Photo: RSPCA Block Fen
6. Lady Whistledown- Springer spaniel (4 years old)
Speedy, energetic and a lot of fun, loving Lady Whistledown will soon become your new best friend. She came into RSPCA care with a litter of five pups, and due to her background she can be nervous - so her new owners will need to come and meet her to earn her trust. But it can be done with some gentle encouragement, as well as lots of cheese and sausage! She lives for a tennis ball and has lots of energy, so would be well suited to activities like agility or flyball. She knows some basic commands, but is looking for a family who will continue her training. As she can be a bit nervous, she’s looking for a quiet home with plenty of space if she needs some time to herself, and she would need to be the only dog. Photo: RSPCA Block Fen
7. Koda- American Akita crossbreed
Gentle giant Koda is a three-year-old American Akita cross with lots of love to give. He will need time and patience to bond and settle with his new owners, but despite his size he is a big cuddle bug who would benefit from continued training in his new home. Koda will ideally need adopters who have experience with larger breeds, as he can be strong, but he could live with children of secondary school age and above. Photo: RSPCA Block Fen
8. Storm- Siberian Husky (8 years old)
Storm is currently undergoing health and behavioural assessments with the hope of being ready for rehoming by September 14. Registration of potential adopters are being taken. Photo: RSPCA Block Fen