Dogs and puppies of all colours, breeds and sizes jump up, barking excitedly as we walk through the rescue centre, each little face telling a story of human betrayal.
Pugs, French bulldogs and litters of Cockapoo puppies are among the designer breeds dumped at Many Tears Animal Rescue and waiting to be rehomed.
Like so many other animal charities across the country, this one is under strain, packed to the rafters with 200 abandoned dogs and struggling to meet the cost of caring for them.
Founder Sylvia Van Atta has had to employ 20 extra staff to help out – and is still recruiting more.
As I cuddle Mayo, a shy little Bichon Frise with sadness in his big brown eyes, Sylvia admits: “I don’t know what we’re going to do.
“We can’t take in all the dogs who need rescuing and we’re running out of cash. Things have never been this bad.”
The pandemic and the cost of living crisis are at the root of the problem, according to the RSPCA, which has received a total of 47,593 dog abandonment reports in the last three years.
Illegal puppy farms have also bred too many designer dogs that they can’t sell, and rescue centres are being left to pick up the pieces.
Dermot Murphy, RSPCA inspectorate commissioner, says: “We are seeing far too many dogs being sadly abandoned by their owners.
“The cost of living is one of the biggest barriers to welfare and is making it harder for people to be kind to animals. Many pet owners are struggling.”
Here at Many Tears Animal Rescue in Wales, the dogs are well looked after by both paid staff and volunteers.
As we weave our way through the kennels and play areas, stopping to pat and stroke a few sweet souls along the way, a man passes us carrying two bin bags filled with cuddly toys for the dogs.
We come across every type of breed. There’s an eight-week-old German Shepherd pup called Taste of the Rainbow, who wants to play, and 10-year-old Labrador Gary, who has never had a home because he has been used as a stud all his life.
Sylvia says: “Sadly, no one wants an old dog. But, like every dog, Gary deserves to have a special person whisper in his ear and tell him how much they love him.”
Then we meet Niggles the Jack Russell, who playfully jumps up begging for my attention.
He tugs at my heartstrings as I have a rescued Jack Russell cross at home, so I can’t resist stopping to give him a stroke and a kiss.
Sylvia says: “He was brought in because his owner was too old to look after him. He misses him. At night, you can hear the dogs howling, calling for their owner or another dog they miss. It’s heartbreaking.”
Sylvia tells me Mayo, the Bichon Frise I met earlier, has a special place in her heart.
He has been at the rescue for just over a month but at one point, they feared they would have to put him down.
“Soon after arriving, he stopped eating,” Sylvia says. “We did his bloods but couldn’t find anything wrong with him.
“The vet said we were going to have to put him to sleep if he didn’t start eating as he was wasting away.” Thankfully, after receiving a lot of time, attention and love from staff, Mayo is now on the mend.
Animal welfare experts are pleading with the public to buy dogs in a responsible way and not inadvertently support the criminal gangs who are using dogs to make a quick profit.
The RSPCA’s Give up a Pet page received 72% more visits in the first five months of 2023 compared to the previous period in 2022.
The charity revealed that 10% (4,787) of all abandonment reports concerned Staffordshire bull terriers.
It also said the number of French bulldogs given up has rocketed by 5,175% in the last three years. The RSPCA puts that increase down to people not realising the breed is prone to health issues due to it being flat-faced, which can potentially mean high vet fees.
Dermot says: “As costs stack up, instead of asking for help, some have chosen to dump their dog.”
Adopting a dog from Many Tears is cheaper than buying one online. The final cost will depend on the breed and size of the animal, but you can expect to pay around £450, which includes neutering and some jabs.
The dogs are also socialised and well-trained, meaning they are less likely to have behavioural problems. It’s hard to imagine what would happen to these dogs if it wasn’t for people like Sylvia who have dedicated their lives to rescuing animals.
She admits she was “crazy about animals from a very young age” but says that ironically, her first dog – who arrived in her life when she was just four – was a bit intimidated by her.
“Kim, a Corgi, hated me,” Sylvia recalls. “I would take him into the garden and pretend he was my horse, encouraging him to show jump. He’d hide under the table when he spotted me.”
These days, Sylvia has 16 dogs of her own and cares for 200 others at the centre. There is hope that every one of them will find a loving home.
Sylvia never gives up on a rescue and tells me about Zee, a Yorkshire Terrier who was dropped off at Many Tears because he used to bite. She says: “If you walked by his kennel, he flew at the bars. One of my staff spent hours rehabilitating him. It took more than five months but it was so worth it.
“Now he has found the home of his dreams, where toys rain from the sky and his family laugh and play with him every day.
“It’s amazing what a bit of love and time can do.”
The 20 most abandoned breeds:
- Staffordshire bull terrier
- German shepherd
- Jack Russell
- Husky
- Chihuahua
- Labrador
- French bulldog
- Lurcher
- Collie
- Rottweiler
- Akita
- Mastiff
- Bulldog
- Spaniel
- Pitbull
- Pug
- Yorkshire terrier
- Greyhound
- Shih Tzu
- Boxer
* Find out about adopting a dog, fostering or volunteering at the centre at manytearsrescue.org
* The RSPCA’s cost of living hub helps pet owners. Alternatively, the public can call the charity’s dedicated cost of living call line on 0300 123 0650.
