The RSPCA has revealed that some of Britain's most unwanted animals have been waiting more than a year to be adopted.
Bosses at the animal charity published stats which show how specific breeds of dog and cat are statistically less likely to be adopted than others.
The most undesirable dog breed is the Saluki, the charity has announced, with one cross named Boycie accommodated in the RSPCA's kennels for more than a year.
Another unwanted breed, perhaps more surprising, is the German Shepherd with one named Jaxon stuck in the kennels since April 2022, and it's not just dogs that are unwanted, with cats also filling up spots.
One domestic shorthair named Elvis has been waiting for a new home for six months.
They also revealed that people are actually giving up animals more than they're adopting. After a boom in animal adoption in 2019 and over the coronavirus pandemic, adoptions were down 30 per cent as of 2022.
On average, dogs wait 39 days to find a new forever home, while cats typically get paired up with a new owner 10 days sooner at 29 days, though the least wanted kittens can spend more than three months in the care of the RSPCA.
The charity is encouraging anyone contemplating getting a pet to consider adopting a rescue animal as part of its 'Adoptober' campaign, as it strives to debunk myths shrouding rescue animals that can prevent people from considering them over kittens or puppies.
Dr Samantha Gaines, head of companion animals at the RSPCA, said that the staff who care for their animals day in and day out know just how loveable each and every one of their rescue pets is and how different they are from one another, regardless of breed.
She said that they do find that some breeds take longer to find their perfect match.
She added that this was likely due to a combination of reasons, including beliefs, often false, about particular breeds, and some owners preferring certain sizes of pets, and that sadly these things could often stop people from even considering the possibility of adopting certain breeds, and that it was so sad that animals were overlooked because of how they look.
Dr Gaines added that people will even turn down the offer of adopting a black cat because of the superstition that they're omens of bad luck.
She continued that they would urge anyone looking for a pet to do their research especially as the reputation of a particular breed or type is often undeserved.
Perhaps if the RSPCA didn't have such absurd rules on who can adopt them, these animals might have homes to go to. I understand that there do have to be some limitations, but if they can't seem to rehome them, then maybe they might consider lifting some of those restrictions.
The longer an animal is in a shelter in enclosures, it makes for an extremely unhappy animal. After all, who wants to be shut up in a cage for hours on end?
Generally, you have to leap through hoops to get a rescue animal, it's a joke. Generally, an animal, such as a dog in particular would sense if that person was not right for them.
Dogs and cats are so adaptable, and having a huge garden isn't always essential as long as that person is active and takes them out often, well, maybe not so much the cat, but certainly the dog. In fact, most pets spend their lives snoozing quite happily, especially as they age.
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