Dog spends record-breaking 700 days at RSPCA animal centre – and still nobody wants to adopt her

Dog spends record-breaking 700 days at RSPCA animal centre – and still nobody wants to adopt her

Mia, a Dutch shepherd, is one of 118 RSPCA dogs, cats and rabbits that has been waiting more than 100 days for a home.

Daniel Graham

Published: October 17, 2024 at 12:44 pm

A staggering 118 animals at RSPCA centres across England and Wales have been waiting over 100 days for a loving home, with one special dog enduring the longest wait of all.

Mia, a Dutch shepherd, has spent a record-breaking 700 days at the RSPCA’s Southridge Animal Centre in Hertfordshire, making her the charity’s longest-stay resident. Despite her affectionate and loyal nature, Mia’s wait continues, highlighting the growing rehoming crisis across England and Wales.

Mia
Mia became available for rehoming in November 2022 having spent her early life in a foster home/RSPCA

RSPCA staff describe Mia’s plight as “heartbreaking and frustrating”, as she now holds the unfortunate title of the UK’s most overlooked dog.

But she is just one of hundreds of rescue animals in need of a new home, and with the average wait time increasing by 31% in the past five years, the need for adopters has never been greater.

Many centres are now at full capacity, leaving some animals in emergency boarding as they await their chance at a new life.

The rehoming struggle is particularly challenging for animals like Mia, who have been rescued from cruelty or neglect. These pets often require extra care and patience from experienced owners to help them overcome their past and adjust to a loving home.

Despite this, RSPCA staff remain hopeful that Mia’s luck will change during the charity’s 'Adoptober' campaign this October, aimed at finding homes for long-term residents like her.

Staff say Mia is a “one in a million dog"/RSPCA

Longest pet stays at each RSPCA centre

The following table shows the longest-stay animal at each national RSPCA centre across England and Wales.

Ashley Heath, Hampshire Pierre, dog 127 days
Birmingham,West Midlands Missy, dog 519 days
Blackberry Farm, Buckinghamshire Sirius, rabbit 323 days
Block Fen, Cambridgeshire Fenton, cat 234 days
Bryn-y-Maen, North Wales  Annie and Hallie, rabbits 350 days
Felledge, Durham Zeus, dog 150 days
Gonsal Farm, Shropshire Tyson, dog 130 days
Great Ayton, Middlesbrough Betsy, dog 247 days
Leybourne, Kent Aspen and Aster, rabbits 646 days
Millbrook, Surrey Xena, dog 148 days
Newport, South Wales Sammy, dog 121 days
Southridge, Hertfordshire Mia, dog 700 days
Stapeley Grange, Cheshire Fox & Badger, cats 12 days
West Hatch, Somerset Sophie, dog 52 days

The RSPCA continues to appeal to animal lovers across the country to consider adopting these overlooked pets and give them the second chance they deserve.

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Daniel Graham

Outdoors editor, BBC Countryfile Magazine

Danny is the outdoors editor of BBC Countryfile Magazine, responsible for commissioning, editing and writing articles for the Great Days Out section, which offers ideas and inspiration for exploring the UK countryside. After completing Dartmoor’s Ten Tors challenge as a teenager, walking has shaped Danny’s life. Over the past 15 years he has wandered many great trails, short and long, including a 2,000-mile journey through central Europe, a 500-mile exploration of the Scottish Highlands and, most recently, a 300-mile south-to-north passage through the beautiful mountains and valleys of Wales along the Cambrian Way. He has an unhealthy obsession with maps and has tested hundreds of Ordnance Survey walking routes around the UK, sampling and reviewing boots, rain jackets and the odd pair of socks as he goes.
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