RSPCA

You’ve probably read headlines about the French bulldog catching up to the Labrador as the UK’s most popular dog breed. The Kennel Club’s records show that in fact the French bulldog will not only become as popular as the Labrador, it will overtake it, and become the most popular dog breed in the UK.

One year old Staffordshire bull terrier cross, Skye, is hoping to find love this Valentine’s Day. She’s currently in the care of the RSPCA’s Leybourne Animal Centre in Kent, and staff are hoping to fine the paw-fect match for her.

Skye was found abandoned in Dover, and has since spent 188 days in kennels at the charity. She is a cuddly girl who enjoys going for walks – but she wants someone to share those walks with her.

“Skye is such a sweetheart and has the most beautiful brown eyes,” says Mel Dolling, an animal care assistant at RSPCA Leybourne.

With Valentine’s Day looming, let’s spare a thought for the most “unloved” dogs in the RSPCA’s care. In general, it takes a cat, dog or rabbit in the care of the RSPCA 39 days to find a new home – but for some unfortunate animals, it takes longer. And sometimes, it seems, their breed has a bearing on the length of their stay at a shelter.

Analysing the data, the charity has found that American Bulldogs are the breed most likely to spend the longest time waiting for their forever home. 66 days is the average length of time and American Bulldog spends at the RSPCA.

We’ve covered quite a few unusual dogs in need of a forever home on DogCast Radio, but I can’t recall one quite like Jodie before. Jodie is an older Staffordshire bull terrier, and as such is not an uncommon resident of a rescue shelter. But Jodie is extremely unusual in one respect – she is a hermaphrodite. This means that she has the reproductive organs of both sexes.

The RSPCA took Jodie in when her previous owner abandoned her, and they are now seeking a special home for her. The search is proving to be a challenge.

Organisations and individuals from around the world have backed the charity in its aim to put an end to the controversial legislation which currently prohibits four types of dogs being kept in the UK. In the four months since the campaign was launched, people have flocked to support the petition. In fact more than 52,000 people have backed the RSPCAs opposition of BSL – and that’s just in the last four months.

Here’s a “pupdate” on the six tiny Lurcher puppies who were dumped in a bucket late in 2016. The tiny, five week old pups were dumped on a doorstep a few days before Christmas 2016. Due to the timing of their discovery, the youngsters were named after Santa’s reindeer, after being taken to the RSPCA.

The litter of puppies are recovering from their ordeal, although one puppy – Dasher - very sadly died of parvo within a few days of being rescued. The surviving puppies are doing very well, thankfully.

The RSPCA is reporting an upturn in the number of “designer breeds” such as French bulldogs and Pugs being abandoned. Becoming fashionable can have dire consequences for a breed, for as more people choose to buy a puppy of a specific breed, more people will sadly choose not to keep the dog long-term. Some of the unfortunate dogs who are cast aside by their owners end up being taken in by the RSPCA.

In 2016 the charity rescued several Pugs and French bulldogs who had been abandoned. Here are some of their stories:

Poor Petunia

Most dogs who are found as strays face a challenging future – but two Chihuahuas who were recently found abandoned at the side of a busy road faced extra challenges. The poor, tiny dogs were not only dumped by the roadside, but one was blind and one was missing a foot.