25 October 2023 , 21:57
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A ‘happy and playful’ dog who would ‘love nothing more than a family of his own’ has been overlooked for almost a year at his RSPCA adoption centre.
Zeus, a four-year-old Staffie Cross, has lived in the home for more than 360 days since he arrived in November 2022. Heartbreakingly, staff have admitted the pooch has ‘lost a little bit of his spark’ as he’s been without a permanent family for such a long time.
Animal care manager at the centre, Megan Rattray, described Zeus as a ‘really lovely’ rescue dog who ‘has a love of human company and is constantly wagging his tail’. She added: “Zeus is a really happy, playful boy who loves toys and games and adores people. Unfortunately he doesn’t like other dogs at all, and can be aggressive towards them, and inevitably this has made it harder for us to find him a new home."
The playful dog has had one of the longest stays of any canine in the centre (RSPCA)“A potential adopter will need to be understanding about this and in return the humans in his life will be rewarded with lots of love and affection from big-hearted Zeus. He’s sadly lost a little bit of his spark as he’s been with us for so long. Despite this, he’s a really lovely dog who has so much going for him. He’s intrigued by everything and can be quite nosey at times.”
Zeus, who currently lives at RSPCA's Leeds, Wakefield, and District Branch in East Ardsley, Leeds, isn’t the only dog looking for a home. There has been a three-year collapse in rehoming rates, with 27,535 animals rehomed in 2022 compared to 39,178 in 2019. There has also been a six percent increase in dogs coming into RSPCA charities and a four percent increase in cats, meaning charities are struggling to find enough families to adopt the animals.
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Megan continued: “(Zeus) is a very quick learner and his training has come on in leaps and bounds… he'll make a wonderful companion and he’d love nothing more than a family of his own with people who will have plenty of time for games of tug and cuddles on the sofa."