TWO CATS from Worcestershire are among eight in the UK who have found new homes, thanks to the RSPCA’s Adoptober campaign, writes May-Ling Turner.
The RSPCA launched its month-long Adoptober rehoming campaign in October in a bid to increase adoption rates across England and Wales.
Thelma and Louise looked for a home for over 150 days, almost four times longer than the average stay.
They were cared for at The Holdings Animal Rescue and Rehoming Centre after their owner became ill.
This centre is run by RSPCA Worcester and Mid-Worcestershire Branch.
In October, Thelma and Louise found a new home.
Claire Wood, from the branch, said: “We have been told they have settled in really well, with Louise coming out of her shell and Thelma has been acting like she owned the place.”
Adoptober success
The Adoptober drive also celebrated the benefits of rescue pets and dispelled myths about rescue pet rehoming.
Following the campaign, statistics revealed that – across 14 RSPCA national centres – there were increases in adoptions.
There was a 36 per cent rise in dog adoptions in October compared to the previous month and cat adoptions were up seven per cent.
The numbers of animals placed in temporary emergency boarding also dropped by 17.5 per cent.
Temporary emergency boarding is used until a space opens up for them at a RSPCA rehoming centre.
However the cases of animals entering the RSPCA through cruelty and neglect remains high.
The 135 independently-run branches across England and Wales continue their work to rehome the hundreds of pets in their care.
The RSPCA has pledged rehoming would continue to be an important part of it work during 2025.
It searches for pets’ new homes to make room for the many more animals rescued by its frontline officers.
Karen Colman, leader of the RSPCA team finding places in centres for rescued animals, said: “We are delighted to see adoptions for cats and dogs going up across the board in our centres for Adoptober.
“The RSCPA rehoming team will give them [families] all the help, advice, and support they need to make the animals transition from centre to home a positive one.”
The rehoming centres are still looking for people to adopt long stay animals.
The RSPCA recently launched its Join the Winter Rescue campaign in what is the charity’s 200th year.
The project calls on the public to support the RSPCA so it can continue their work during the winter period.
Pet abandonments are on the increase in winter.
The charity announced last month that 20,999 abandonment reports were made to its emergency line in 2023.
This figure was a rise of 30 per cent in just three years compared to 16,118 in 2020.
The charity believes these statistics are due to an increase in pet ownership during Covid-19 and the current financial hardships faced by many.
Anyone who can help rehome a pet can visit: rspca.org.uk/findapet to see all the animals at the RSPCA currently looking for a new home.
