A Staffordshire bull terrier who was rescued by the RSPCA after being abandoned in a house is hoping to make it third time lucky in his quest to find a forever home.
Affectionate Tyson originally came into the charity’s Hillfield Animal Home in Stretton, Staffordshire, in December 2021 after his owners moved out of a property in Derby and left him behind.
He was adopted at the end of January but then sadly returned to the animal home three months later after becoming reactive to other dogs which his owner found difficult to cope with.
The eight-and-a-half-year-old dog was one of 791 abandoned animals reported to the RSPCA in Derbyshire last year. Dogs were the most abandoned pet, with 14,462 reports made nationally, according to new figures released by the charity this week.
This is why the RSPCA has launched its Cancel Out Cruelty summer campaign which aims to raise funds to keep the charity’s rescue teams on the frontline saving animals like Tyson, as well as raise awareness about how we can all work together to stop cruelty for good.
Cyan Cooper, administrator at Hillfield Animal Home, which is run by the Burton upon Trent and District branch, said: “Tyson is an incredibly affectionate Staffordshire Bull Terrier who originally came into our care after his owners left him in a property when they moved out. Despite this traumatic experience, he’s made great progress during his time with us and loves nothing more than a nice walk, a play with his toys and lots of affection from anyone and everyone who will give it to him.
“We’ve taken a lot of time and care to build up Tyson’s confidence when he’s out walking and he’s a lot more relaxed now. He’s not comfortable with other dogs in his space – this is largely due to the fact that he wasn’t properly socialised and taught properly when he was a puppy – so we’ve successfully muzzle trained him, making it a fun and positive experience for him, and he’s taken to it really well.
“He’s just an incredibly sweet boy who absolutely loves people, so a family home with teenage children would be ideal for him. He’s getting on a little bit in years so we’re really hoping that this is his last time in rescue.”
Tyson will need a calm household with people who have had some experience of the breed. He can’t live with other cats or dogs and his new owners will need to be patient and understanding about his behaviour around other canines when they take him out.
With a huge rise in pet ownership during the Covid-19 pandemic and with the cost of living crisis putting a strain on people’s finances, the RSPCA is concerned that we could see even more animals being given up.
A new Animal Kindness Index published by the RSPCA has revealed that pet owners are also hugely concerned about rising prices and how this will impact on their ability to care for their animals.
Staff at Hillfield say they are also seeing the effects of rising prices. Adoptions have slowed down in recent months, while an increasing number of dogs with behavioural issues are being relinquished. Staff suspect this is because they received little or no training and socialisation during Covid, which can make the animals harder to rehome.
Other long stay dogs looking for new homes at the animal home include:
Nala, a six-year-old grey and white female lurcher, the centre’s longest-staying dog, who has been looking for a new home since February.
Titus, a four-and-a-half-year-old Rottweiler cross, described as a “gentle giant,” who has been at Hillfield since mid June after being admitted as a stray.
