Heartbreak as Birmingham's Missy still waits for a home after 519 days

A staggering 118 animals at national RSPCA centres have been waiting more than 100 days for a new home - including Missy at RSPCA Birmingham, who has been searching for her forever home for more than 500 days.

Shocking new data today (16 October) reveals that rescue animals are spending even longer in the charity’s care.

Cross-breed Missy is one of them - and has now spent 519 days in RSPCA Birmingham Animal Centre’s care, without being offered a forever home - highlighting the ongoing rehoming crisis across England and Wales.

The RSPCA hopes her fortunes will soon change, as part of its annual Adoptober October rehoming drive.

Missy is one of 118* dogs, cats and other animals at RSPCA national rehoming centres that have been waiting for a new home for more than 100 days.

Missy - looked after by the RSPCA’s Birmingham Animal Centre - is one of the RSPCA’s longest stay ‘residents’. She needs a calm home with a garden and someone to love. She loves to play with footballs, running big zoomies around in offlead areas and will appreciate the space to do the same in the garden of her forever home

Across England and Wales, the average length of time dogs, cats and rabbits are having to wait before someone adopts them has risen by more than one third (31%) over the past five years (from 31.7 days in 2019 to 41.4 days in 2023), according to new data from the RSPCA released today.

Consequently, many rehoming centres are bursting at the seams and unable to take in new animals - with many in costly emergency boarding centres while they wait for space. 

One of the reasons the RSPCA has so many long-stay animals is that its 14 national centres prioritise animals rescued from cruelty and neglect.

These most vulnerable animals take time to recover from the cruelty and neglect they have experienced and often require a more experienced owner who can provide the ‘know-how’ and patience to continue the pet’s rehabilitation at home.

As of 3 October this year, a shocking 118 dogs, cats and other animals at the RSPCA’s 14 national animal centres alone were recorded as having already waited 100 days or more without being adopted. And that doesn’t include the charity’s 135 independently run branches - who are also looking after numerous ‘long stay’ animals who are sadly being overlooked by potential adopters. 

The RSPCA has a clear policy that it will not put healthy, rehomeable animals to sleep and euthanasia is only carried out, on advice of a vet, to prevent further physical or mental suffering to an animal.

Potential adopters can visit the RSPCA’s Find A Pet webpage to see all of the animals currently in the charity’s care who are looking for their perfect match. Supporters can also help the RSPCA continue rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming by donating online or calling their donation line on 0300 123 8181.