Two of RSPCA Block Fen’s longest stay dogs are wishing for a new home

The RSPCA has put out a New Year plea to help find new homes for two of their longest stay dogs in the hope they can find a family to call their own.

Kevin and Angel have both spent more than a year in the care of the RSPCA Block Fen Animal Centre as they were case dogs, which meant they couldn’t become available for rehoming until the prosecutions concluded.

Cheeky Kevin, a three-year-old lurcher, has been at RSPCA Block Fen Animal Centre, in Cambridgeshire, since November 2021. He has been available for rehoming since December 2022.

Sweet Angel, a Malinios crossbreed, came into RSPCA care just over a year ago when she was just a pup, so has spent much of her short life in kennels.

Both dogs are firm favourites with the staff at the centre - but it would be the perfect new year if they could find a family of their own.

The RSPCA has revealed that it has found loving new homes for more than 6,000 animals in a decade in Cambridgeshire.

But sadly despite this amazing feat between 2021 and 2022, the RSPCA has seen a six percent increase in the number of dogs taken into care at a time when adoptions have fallen.

As the crisis continues, RSPCA rescue centres are “full to bursting” with unwanted pets.

Supervisor Tiffany Saunders is one of the main handlers for Angel and said: “We of course love all our dogs at the centre - but there are just some who you really feel for as they have to wait so much longer to find their forever homes.

We know these dogs so well and can’t understand why they get overlooked because we just know that they will be the perfect family pet - they just have to find the right family.

“Angel has sadly spent most of her life in a kennel and will therefore need full training from scratch within her new home and someone around for most of the day to help her adjust.

“Angel is very typical of her breed, extremely clever and always keen to learn new things. She loves her toys and doesn't go anywhere without her 'donkey' which she will carry in her mouth wherever she goes.”

Tiffany said that Angel needs a little help with her confidence, adding: “She is social with both people and other dogs but she can be a little off on introductions. She does need a bit of help with her confidence in certain situations, but she takes most things in her stride and seeks comfort from her handler when she feels she needs it.

“We have watched Angel grow from a young pup and we are so proud of the progress she has made since she arrived in our care. She now needs experienced new owners who are willing to continue her training at home and are around for most of the day to implement this training.

“We are looking for an adult home for Angel where she will be the only animal and have all of the attention on her. New owners will need to have experience with working/high energy breeds and have an active lifestyle in which Angel can be involved with. She would make a great running partner or be a good candidate for canicross!

“Our centre is very rural meaning that Angel hasn't had much experience within the big wide world. She has however been walked off site and coped fairly well with traffic, people and other dogs.

“She may struggle in busy towns/cities so we feel her new home would need to be semi-rural so she can slowly be exposed to all of the sights, smells and sounds of the world - anyone interested in offering her a home is asked to fill out her adoption application - it would be a great start to the new year if we can find her a new home.”

Heidi Sweetland is an animal care assistant at Block Fen and is the main handler for Kevin.

She said: “Kevin has a smile that will brighten your day and he is 100% ready to find his forever home!

“Kevin has a personality that everyone falls in love with when you meet him. He is a very affectionate boy who loves the company of people. Everyone at Block Fen loves Kevin!”

Kevin has never lived in a home before, so is looking for someone who will be patient and understand that new surroundings and different environments will be quite overwhelming for Kevin. For this reason he will need to be rehomed to a semi-rural home so he can have a relaxing walk without running into things that may be too much for him.

Heidi added: “We are hoping to find someone who will continue Kevin's training. He is so clever! He knows the commands - sit, down, touch, roll over, wait and watch me. He has a great foundation of commands to work with when continuing his training.

“Kevin is a super smart boy and we are looking for a home that can meet his physical and mental stimulation needs. He is an absolute pro at puzzle feeders, snuffle-matts and lick matts. He loves nothing more than to have a good fast run off-lead, as well as walking to heel on-lead. Kevin wears a muzzle comfortably because, as with most sighthounds, he does have a high prey drive.

“Kevin forms strong bonds and won't be used to being left alone in a home so we are looking for adopters to be at home most of the time initially. Kevin could live with children above secondary school age who are confident and used to being around dogs. He is to be the only dog in the home as he prefers the company of people than dogs - please fill out an adoption form for him.”

All across England and Wales, concerns are increasing for the number of animals coming into RSPCA care, as the number of animals being adopted are dropping. The number of animals rehomed fell by five percent from 2021 to 2022 falling to 25,535 animals in 2022, compared to 26,945 during the previous year.

For 200 years, the RSPCA has been working tirelessly to bring animals to safety and give them the expert treatment and compassion they deserve with the support of fellow animal lovers.

The charity is asking animal lovers to join the winter rescue by donating to help rescue teams reach the thousands of animals who desperately need them.