Big dogs face longer wait for homes, charities say
BBCAnimal rescue centres across south-west England say large dogs are now waiting longer to find new homes.
Woodside Animal Sanctuary in Plymouth said its kennels were full as well as a waitlist of more than 40 large dogs. It said the cost of owning a bigger dog puts some people off, while many larger animals need extra training before they can be rehomed.
The RSPCA Cornwall Animal Centre said the big dogs in its care now wait an average of six months or more to find a new home.
The charity said larger dog breeds could take up to seven times longer to be rehomed than smaller breeds and it was part of a wider rehoming crisis affecting rescue organisations.
One of the large dogs at its Cornwall centre is Bailey, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier cross who is three and a half years old. He arrived at the centre in January this year.
The terrier is undergoing a programme of retraining with the centre's animal behaviourist Wale Adesina, who said: "Dogs live in the moment. If you do what's right with them, they simply mirror that back to you.
"Bailey's got prey drive, so we channel that prey drive into something more productive, into a ball chase, into working for food. We utilise whatever the dog has inbuilt in him."
Coda, a young German Shepherd, was affectionate and eager to learn but needed an understanding owner because he liked to run off with things, said staff at Plymouth's Woodside Animal Sanctuary, where he has been since April.
Woodside's senior manager, Debbie Haynes, said large dogs were often overlooked because of concerns about their size, strength and the cost of owning them.
She said: "A lot of the reasons people are getting rid of them is because they can't afford it any more.
"I'd say vets' fees are one of the highest. Food is expensive but it's not just about the food. It's everything else."
Haynes said: "Large dogs have always been less popular than smaller ones but what I would say is the waiting list has got much longer. We've got 40 or more on the list waiting to come in."
The RSPCA Cornwall Animal Centre runs as an independent charity working alongside the national RSPCA to rehome and rehabilitate animals, including those rescued through RSPCA investigations.
Leanne Bawden, from the RSPCA in Cornwall, said anyone adopting a dog would receive support throughout the process and after taking their pet home.
With rescue centres reporting growing numbers of large dogs waiting for homes, charities are urging people not to overlook bigger breeds when considering adoption.
