Not just for Christmas: Rescue centres plea for adopters as public continue to buy and breed pets

Stephen Price

The old adage, ‘a dog is for life not just for Christmas’ is in sad need of reminding again this year, as the public continue to buy from breeders while animal shelters across Wales take on a seemingly endless supply of abandoned animals.

Animal rescue centres nationwide are facing ‘unprecedented’ numbers of dogs, cats and other companion animals arriving at their centres, as owners struggle with factors such as the cost of living crisis and the reality of dependent animals’ needs

Across Wales, dogs of all ages, shapes and sizes are currently waiting for loving homes through no fault of their own, while backyard breeders and puppy farms continue to breed pets that so often find themselves returned by owners when circumstances and expectations change.

With this in mind, we’re sharing the faces of just a few of the pets who are facing a Christmas, and possibly much of 2025, spent in a shelter.

Faces including our cover-stars above – Franklin who has spent close to two years in search of a home to call his own, and Mabel who isn’t a stranger to shelters, having been surrendered to the same shelter twice.

Greyhound Rescue Wales

Greyhound Rescue Wales made headlines last month after one of their charity shops was targeted by a thief.

With finances tighter than ever, and dog abandonment on the rise, the theft was particularly more damaging, but the charity has used the opportunity to focus on its hard working team of volunteers, and the reason they exist – the handsome and elegant dogs themselves.

Wotsit is a happy, bouncy greyhound looking for her forever home.

The charity say: “At heart, she’s a bouncy, happy girl who loves meeting new people and spreading joy wherever she goes. Whether she’s running with her sighthound buddies or stealing the couch for some much-needed relaxation, Wotsit has a wonderful balance of fun and chill.

“If you’re looking for a loving, active companion with a personality as big as her heart, Wotsit could be the one for you. If you’d like to know more or meet this lovely girl, please get in touch!”

Bluey is a stunning 2-year-old greyhound in search of his forever home.

This confident and friendly boy will be the first to greet you with a wagging tail and an upbeat personality. Bluey currently lives with his brother, Bingo, and they’d consider rehoming them as a pair if the right home comes along. Bluey is well-socialised with non-sighthound breeds and even shares his home with a small dog.

Hope

Taking to social media recently, Hope rescue centre based in Pontyclun shared: “Here at Hope – we’re committed to providing all the dogs in our care with the best start to their news lives with a Hope adopter!

“We’re busier than we’ve ever been and there is no sign of let up any time soon. We have a £20,000 hole in our budget from our enormous vets’ bills over the last few weeks.”

To focus on just a few, Hope shared a heartbreaking update recently about Franklin who is about to mark his second year looking for a family to adopt him.

They wrote: “Franklin is sadly celebrating an anniversary we hope none of our dogs see later this month, two years looking for a home.

“Franklin arrived in our care as a stray after being picked up by the dog warden, however, we soon found out there was a sinister twist to his tale.

“An unintentional voicemail was left on our machine, prior to calling the dog warden his owners were heard discussing plans on how to abandon Franklin on a mountain to then be able to pass him over as a stray.

“This poor boy didn’t know where to turn, he was in a new environment and it soon became clear there was even more to this story. Franklin was sadly suffering from a life threatening condition called parvo virus.

“Franklin’s prognosis was extremely poor but thanks to our amazing veterinary team he pulled through.

“We were all so thrilled to see Franklin recovered and never expected him to still be looking for a home almost two years later.

“Franklin is a superstar, as you can see from his photos he gets along well with dogs of all different sizes, he can even make friends with the feline variety!

“Due to Franklin’s previous experiences he can be worried of new people but after a few tasty treats and a game of tug, Franklin soon finds his confidence!

“If you can offer Franklin that chance he deserves please do visit our website to find out more about him.”

8 year old Malamute, Nemo is also desperate to have a home to call his own.

Hope shared: “This lovely lad thrives in a calm environment where he can unwind and have his own space. A secure private garden where he can sniff and investigate to his heart’s content would be his dream come true!

“When it’s time to relax, Nemo loves a cozy spot to stretch out and chill, enjoying the simple pleasures of life.”

Lady arrived at Hope as a stray, and this ten year old would love a home to call her own in her senior years.

Hope shared: “Lady’s exercise needs are minimal. She enjoys a gentle stroll and pottering around, perfect for someone who loves a relaxed pace. After her walks, Lady enjoys settling down for a cuddle and a snooze.”

Many Tears

Many Tears is another leading adoption charity in Wales, with an astonishing 248 dogs currently registered for adoption on their website.

Bath is just one of many dogs patiently waiting for a home, and like many is desperate to belong to someone and feel safe.

They say: “Bath relies heavily on her kennel friends for support and this means she will need another dog in her new home to help her settle and give her some extra support if she needed it. Bath is trying her best to understand the kindness of human touch but she is still very shy but easy to handle

Mabel, like so many others, is waiting for a new chance – with her story all the more desperate as this is not her first time at a shelter.

They shared: “Mabel is a a charming 7-year-old French Bulldog with a heart full of love that was adopted and returned to us, as she was having a hard time sharing the attention of her new owners.

“Mabel is the ultimate lap dog, always ready for cuddles and affection. She’s incredibly sweet-natured and enjoys being by your side all day long.”

Cardiff’s Rescue Hotel is another dog rescue centre with dogs currently waiting for their chance at a forever home, and for the love and safety they deserve.

Like most others, their Facebook page has daily updates with photos of some of the available dogs, or their website has plenty to offer – again, with many waiting months for homes.

Two characters that will lighten any room are the duo of beautiful pocket bullies, Wednesday & Hester.

The charity shared: “These young girls arrived in our care as strays. Upon arrival they were severely underweight, riddled with fleas and had some skin issues.

“It’s clear that neither of the pair have ever known a loving home that all dogs should know. They were both nervous when they arrived but despite all of this they greeted us with affection and a waggy tail.”

With 28 dogs currently on their adoption home page, another looking for a home right now is Mr Nice Guy, aptly named, Guy.

They shared: “Guy is a young bulldog who is approximately 2-3 years old. He arrived is as a stray and is now ready to start his new life

“Guy is such a lovely boy, although a little shy on first meets. However once  he trusts you,  the love never ends!”

Lifeline

It’s not just the larger or more well known shelters above that are struggling with a rise in abandoned and surrendered dogs.

There are plenty of other larger charities and smaller dog rescue centres dotted around Wales too, such as West Wales Poundies that are coordinating adoption and rescue efforts across Wales with ever diminishing budgets.

The charity said: “We are a small registered charity dedicated to saving the lives of dogs in council pounds. After dogs arrive at the pound, the dogs have just 7 days to be claimed by their owners.

“After the 7 days have passed, if there is space available, they will come into the care of West Wales Poundies Dog Rescue. If there isn’t space, they may be destroyed. WWP provide a lifeline to the pound dogs.”

The charity recently welcomed handsome Atticus, a one year old Lurcher as an unclaimed stray.

They shared: “Atticus is the happiest, softest dog you’ll ever meet! He’s a big people dog and loves everyone he meets. He’ll happily sit with you all day as long as he’s getting a fuss!

“Atticus is super dog friendly with dogs of all sizes, boys and girls. He’s happy to play and quite respectful.”

The lovely Evie is a five year old Lurcher, and arrived with them as an unclaimed stray.

Evie is probably a Greyhound cross and has the sweetest nature.

They shared: “Evie is very laid back, she walks beautifully on the lead and just trots by your side. She loves her ‘off lead’ time in our secure field where she does a few laps before going back to just mooching, typical Lurcher really!”

RSPCA

The RSPCA offers a huge number of pets, from hamsters to dogs, rats and rabbits to cats, and like all other shelters is facing a steep rise in the number of pets looking for forever homes.

The RSPCA Cymru team at Llys Nini Animal Centre in Swansea write: “Tilly is a sweet 5-year-old Chihuahua who is happiest when snuggled up on a warm lap. Though she loves to be close to her people, she can be a bit of a worrier and sometimes struggles with confidence.”

“With gentle encouragement and plenty of affection, Tilly is slowly building her confidence. Her loyal and loving nature makes her a wonderful companion, and with time, she’ll continue to blossom into a more self-assured little dog.”

For those in need of a dog for adventure, exciting walks and a daily slice of joy, Coco is as sweet as her name suggests.

The RSPCA Cymru team shared: “We don’t know anything about her background, but she loves belly rubs and walks quite well on the lead, but she can be strong due to her size.

“Coco is looking for a family who like a bit of playful boisterousness in their lives!”