Adoptober: RSPCA are rescuing more designer breeds than ever before

The RSPCA rehomed 125 dogs in Kent last year and, while Staffies are still the most rescued breed, designer dogs are appearing more and more in the charity’s rehoming centres.

As part of the RSPCA’s special rehoming drive Adoptober, new national figures have been released showing that while pure-breed and crossbreed Staffies, lurchers, Jack Russell terriers and German shepherds are still the most common dog to come into its care, more trendy ‘handbag’ breeds and fashionable crossbreeds are also ending up in the charity’s 17 national animal centres.

The number of chihuahuas coming into the RSPCA’s care has gone up by 700% in the last seven years (14 in 2012 to 112 in 2018), while the number of French bulldogs is up 236%, Dachshunds are up 600% and Pomeranians are up 440%.

The charity is also seeing more crossbreeds and breeds used for popular crosses – such as cocker spaniels and poodles – arriving in its centres as inspectors shut down puppy farms and collect abandoned dogs and puppies.

Last year, the RSPCA rescued 133 dogs from abuse and neglect in Kent and received 18,064 calls to its 24-hour cruelty hotline about animals in the county.

RSPCA dog welfare expert Lisa Hens said: “Although Staffies, lurchers, Jack Russell terriers and German shepherds are still the most common dogs coming into our centres, we are seeing a general decrease in their numbers while seeing an increase in the number of fashionable crossbreeds and so-called designer dogs like Dachshunds and French bulldogs arriving in our care.

“We know that the animals coming into our care tend to reflect general dog ownership trends and there’s been a huge surge in recent years in people buying ‘designer dogs’ and crossbreeds such as cavachons, puggles and cockerpoos.

“As part of our rehoming drive this October – called Adoptober – we want to shine a light on all of the dogs in our care and encourage people to adopt a rescue dog instead of buying a puppy. All the animals in our care have a lot of love to give and we have a huge variety of dogs in our kennels waiting for homes, of all ages, shapes, sizes and breeds.”

The RSPCA rescues animals from the worst abuse and neglect and, by giving them a home, you are giving them a second chance at life.

Thankfully, not all the dogs rescued by the RSPCA need to be rehomed as some already have owners and can be returned. Some pets go to vets or come into RSPCA hospitals for treatment, while we also work closely with other charities who sometimes assist us with rehoming.

Adoptober is a rehoming drive to raise awareness of some of the animals in RSPCA care who so desperately need a forever home. To offer an RSPCA rescue dog a new home please visit www.rspca.org.uk/findapet to find your paw-fect match. Dogs like Bill, Sadie, Nancy and Ace.

 

Name: Bill

Age: Four

Breed: Japanese Akita

Where: RSPCA Leybourne Animal Centre

A bit about: Bouncy Bill is a very playful, friendly boy looking for his forever home. He loves attention, craves company, enjoys a fuss, and loves to chase a ball. He has shown a real knack for training and already knows sit, beg and many other commands.

Why he’s special: Bill has struggled a little with kennel life and finds it quite stressful. Despite his size he can be timid around new people and needs an owner who will be understanding that he is a sensitive soul and will help to build his confidence. His favourite things in life are treats which really help him when he is learning new things.

Ideal home: Bill is looking for a loving home with a family who have experience of large dog breeds and know what to expect from Akitas. Bill is a friendly boy but will need to live in a house with older secondary age children aged 14+ as he can be quite strong and lively. He would prefer to be the only animal in the home at the moment, but with the correct training and socialisation he may be able to live with another dog in the future once he has settled in and found his feet.

More information: To find out more about Bill please visit his page on the RSPCA website on Find A Pet.

 

Name: Sadie

Age: Eight

Breed: Staffordshire bull terrier

Where: RSPCA Leybourne Animal Centre

A bit about: Sadie loves attention, and loves to sit close to you and have her chin rubbed! She is a real sweetie and a favourite with everyone! She is doing very well working on her commands and is mastering sit. Her next mission is ‘paw’ and ‘down’.

Why she’s special: Beautiful Sadie is looking for her forever home after she came into our care due to her owner sadly passing away.

Ideal home: Sadie will need patient owners who are willing to work with her on being left, as at the moment she can become very anxious on her own, so she will need a family who will be around most of the time and help build her up to being left longer periods of time. She is not too keen on cats – so her new home would have to be cat free. Sadie will be able to live with secondary school aged children and with the correct home she will blossom and become a great member of the family.

More information: To find out more about Sadie please visit her page on the RSPCA website on Find A Pet.

 

Name: Ace

Age: Two

Breed: Belgian Shepherd

Where: RSPCA Leybourne Animal Centre

A bit about: Ace is a lovely boy who has shown he has a very affectionate side, and loves to sit on the sofa with you and snuggle up into your lap for a cuddle.He is such a bright boy who is very good with agility and learning lots of new things. His new tricks include sit, wait, down, paw and rollover! He would love to find a family to call his own who could help to teach him a whole new host of tricks!

Why he’s special: Ace came into our care with his sister, but they are looking for separate homes. While in our care the kennels staff have been working closely with Ace and developing his social skills.He would benefit from some more socialisation and training classes to help further his skills – as he just loves to learn!

Ideal home:  Ace is looking for an experienced home where someone is familiar with larger dog breeds such as Malinios or German Shepherds.

Ace is a very strong boy, so is looking for either an adult-only home or one with older teenagers. At the moment its best for Ace to be the only dog in the home as he gets very excited in their company so needs to learn how to play comfortably and calmly! This young boy has so much potential and, with the right home, he will be a great member of the family.

More information: To find out more about Ace please visit his page on the RSPCA website on Find A Pet.

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One of the benefits of adopting a dog from the RSPCA means they are already neutered and vaccinated. You could also take advantage of four weeks’ free RSPCA Pet insurance*. What’s more, if you decide to take out a full RSPCA Pet insurance policy once this has expired, you will also be supporting other rescue pets as 15% of the premium you pay goes towards helping animals in need.

If you are not in a position to give a pet a home this October, you can still help thousands of animals in our care by donating at www.rspca.org.uk/donateadoptober, sponsoring a dog kennel or cat pod for just £1.50 a week, or showing your support for rescue pets with one of our RSPCA T-shirts. Or if you want to support the work of your local RSPCA branch visit their website.

 

 

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