The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) England and Wales posted photos on their Facebook page of more than 250 dogs discovered living in one home. The non profit stated the situation is something they see “far too often.”
There can be many reasons why people end up with far more animals than they can care for, such as mental health conditions, disability, bereavements, and serious financial issues.
Social media comments had suggested the images posted this week had been made by AI or were fake; writing they could not believe that kind of overcrowding in one home. In this case, 250 poodles were found in a home owned by an “overwhelmed” owner. The elderly person had been breeding the dogs, but got caught up in spiraling and uncontrolled breeding issues.
The poodle-cross dogs, also known as “doodles”, had been discovered living in the home. Many of the dogs suffered from severe matting mixed with feces and urine pulling against their irritated and infected skin. The dogs were found living in the fireplace, under furniture and crammed into the living room.
- According to RSPCA Superintendent Jo Hirst, the public’s skepticism in the authenticity of the photos was understandable; sadly the images are real, and the problems of animal hoarding situations are real and truly concerning.
- The incident highlights the “capacity crisis” for animal welfare, and in this case, the prosecution of the owner is not being pursued.
- The RSPCA took custody of 87 dogs; the other dogs have since been transferred to the care of Dogs Trust.
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