The RSPCA has issued an urgent plea for adopters in Wales to come forward after several large-scale cruelty and neglect cases left the animal welfare charity caring for a record number of dogs.
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.
And because RSPCA centres are already full, almost half of those 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 like Nala a second chance and free up space so they can continue their vital rescue work.
Amirah Jones, Animal Centre Deputy Manager at Newport Animal Centre, 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.”
The charity is urging the public to help by adopting a pet if they’re in a position to or by sharing rehoming profiles to help dogs find their new families.
To see all dogs available for adoption across the RSPCA’s centres, please visit the charity’s Find a Pet page.
