Kennels re-fit for Welsh animal centre as larger dogs settle in

New kennelling facilities have opened at a Welsh RSPCA Animal Centre to help the charity house increased numbers of larger dogs.

The RSPCA across the board has seen a rise in the number of large breed dogs coming into the charity’s care and to meet this demand the kennels at RSPCA Newport Animal Centre have had an overhaul.

Following extensive work, there are now larger kennels available which allows the centre to better meet the welfare needs of larger dogs, with the upgraded kennels providing more space and choice for dogs in care – supporting their wellbeing, rehabilitation and improving their chances of finding a new home.

Their first intake is two-year-old Mastiff crossbreed Bailey, pictured above, who has settled in well to his new surroundings yet despite being up for rehoming for a little while now, he has not had a single application.

RSPCA Newport Animal Centre Manager Courtney Murphy said: “We are delighted to now be able to care for a range of larger dogs like Bailey that need our help – as previously we had been restricted to only taking in dogs of a certain size meaning dogs would have gone to other centres or private boarding establishments.

“We now have the capacity to take in five large breed dogs into our centre from our inspectorate who are dealing with situations involving cruelty and neglect and this is on top of the other kennels we already have for smaller breeds.

“We also have our amazing foster carers who also care for a number of animals for us, providing us a lifeline for even more animals in need.

“We would also welcome more foster carers to come on board. Fostering an animal is incredibly rewarding and we are looking for new foster carers to help us with the many cats and dogs that come into our care.

“These animals include those that may have experienced neglect and have been rescued by the RSPCA inspectorate – some may have never even experienced a loving and safe home.

“Volunteer fosterers provide a vital resource to the RSPCA as they can offer these animals a calm and loving environment during their rehabilitation and help to improve their chances of finding a permanent loving new home.”

Last year as part of the charity’s Adoptober rehoming drive, the RSPCA revealed that it can take up to seven times longer for some larger dog breeds to find a new home compared to smaller dogs.

The Mastiff/Bull Mastiff breed – like Bailey – was featured in the top 10 hardest to rehome.

Courtney added: “People may not be aware that we are now rehoming larger breeds, so we’d love to spread the word, that you may see a wider range of breeds looking for homes now from us in Newport.

“Across the board we are in an unprecedented rehoming crisis as we continually face large-scale cruelty and neglect cases which lead to record numbers of dogs and cats in our care.

“We desperately need adopters now more than ever, so we can continue to rescue and care for the animals who need us.

“We have lots of larger breed dogs needing homes, each one is unique, special and deserves a second chance of happiness.”

Bailey is aged around two and is a friendly boy.

“He is a wonderful bundle of energy and loves attention!” said Courtney. “He enjoys the simple things in life; playing with his toys, running around in our paddock, and heading out on walks with his canine friends.”

Bailey came into the care of the RSPCA through our inspectorate after his welfare needs were sadly not being met. After lots of well-deserved TLC at the centre he has now come out of his shell and is now ready to find his forever home.

“Bailey is looking for an adult-only home with someone who is familiar with larger breeds and can provide him with the guidance he needs to continue thriving,” said Courtney.

“He would benefit from a home where someone is around for most of the day to help him gradually learn that it’s okay to be left alone for short periods. Although he enjoys walking with his canine friends here at the centre, he would be happiest as the only dog in the home so he can enjoy all the attention. He will also need a cat-free home.

“We have really enjoyed having a larger breed dog at the centre, but we equally can’t wait to see him head off into a forever home. It is so sad he hasn’t had a single application yet – but we hope this very much changes soon!”

If you would like to express an interest in Bailey please fill out a perfect match form.

If you would like to express an interest in becoming a foster carer for the centre please visit the website for more information.

To find out more about the other animals currently looking for a home please visit Find A Pet.