A dog who was found wandering alone in the woods after being abandoned and hit by a car is hoping for a fresh start.
Two-year-old crossbreed Raza is finding life in kennels really difficult so RSPCA staff are appealing to find her a loving new home urgently.
Raza was taken in by RSPCA Finsbury Park Animal Hospital, in London, in February after she was rescued and then moved to RSPCA Leybourne Animal Centre, in Kent.
Kennel Supervisor Laura Bowbrick said: “Raza has had a difficult start. She was rescued by our teams after being found abandoned, wandering alone in the woods, after reportedly being hit by a car.
“Raza is such a sweetie and absolutely loves interacting with all of our staff and volunteers here. She loves to do training and learn new things, and loves playing with her toys.
“But in her kennel she really struggles and she’s so unhappy in our care, which is breaking our hearts. Sadly, we think because she’s a large, black dog she’s being overlooked by potential adopters. But we’re hoping that we can find someone who will see Raza’s beauty, both inside and out, and give her a chance.”
RSPCA figures show that, on average, it takes 33 days to rehome small dogs and 39 days to rehome medium-sized dogs, compared to 60 days to rehome large dogs.
Raza is looking for an adult-only home where she’ll be the only pet. She’s a bright spark who loves food and treats so will love ongoing training and is doing really well with her training so far. She already knows ‘sit’, ‘down’, ‘wait’, and has good recall and walks to heel.
Laura added: “Raza is an energetic dog who loves being out, exploring and going on adventures. She enjoys long walks but she also enjoys spending quiet, relaxing time with staff in our office, and is often seen sitting by the window watching the world go by and dreaming of her new life.
“She’s such a fantastic, young dog who just needs the right family to give her a chance.”
Animal rescue crisis
The appeal to find Raza a new home comes as the RSPCA reveals it is facing a rehoming crisis across England and Wales. New figures show that in 2023, 42% more animals arrived at the RSPCA than were adopted.
Rehoming centres across England and Wales are at near or full capacity, with pets either waiting to be adopted, or being assessed for adoption – leaving countless dogs, cats and other animals still in emergency boarding waiting for a place at a rehoming centre.
Last year, while the RSPCA’s 14 rehoming centres and 135 independently-run branches found new homes for an incredible 28,208 dogs, cats, rabbits and other pets, that was far fewer than the 40,118 animals that arrived at the shelters across England and Wales.
And many animals are staying in its rescue centres for longer while staff try to find them the right homes; like Raza.
The charity has launched its Join the Christmas Rescue campaign to help bring joy and safety to other animals like Raza. For thousands of terrified and injured animals, we’ll turn the worst suffering into the best Christmas yet – because it will be the one where their lives change forever, and the start of many happier Christmases to come.
Find out more about Raza online or contact the team at [email protected] or 0300 123 0751.
