REVEALED: The pedigree dogs MOST likely to be DUMPED in tragic numbers
AS CUTE French bulldogs become Britain’s most popular pedigrees, one-time patriotic favourites are being abandoned in tragic numbers.
Man caught by the RSPCA after shouting abuse at his Dog when it broke his iPad
Staffordshire bull terriers, Jack Russells and even adorable Yorkshire terriers are revealed today as the country’s dog breeds most likely to end up unwanted in animal rescue centres.
While post-Brexit pet lovers are looking across the English Channel for inspiration, with the French bulldog soon destined to be the most registered pedigree with the Kennel Club, a survey by the RSPCA of unwanted, abused and neglected dogs makes sad reading.
The animal welfare looked at the breeds of the hundreds of dogs that came through the doors of its 17 nationwide animal centres last year and discovered that traditional British terrier breeds - the Staffie, Jack Russell and Yorkie - took up the first three places.
These are the pedigree dog breeds most likely to be dumped by their owners
Surprisingly, “handbag” dogs such as the shih tzu and bichon frise also made it into the national “most unwanted” list.
German shepherd, Bordie collie, husky and Rottweiler also made on to the list, along with the Labrador, a breed about to lose its place as the country’s most popular pedigree.
The Kennel Club this week revealed how the French bulldog, a dog adored by the Beckhams and Lady Gaga, is destined to overtake the Labrador after registrations rose by 47 per cent from 14,607 in 2015 to 21,470 last year.
The French bulldog is becoming Britain's favourite dog
No matter what type, size, age of dog you are thinking of buying or rescuing, it’s imperative you do your research first and make sure you can commit to taking on that dog for the rest of his or her life
RSPCA’s Klare Kennett, the charity’s assistant director of communications, said: “Although we might expect the breeds of dogs coming into rescue most commonly to reflect some of the trends of the most popular breeds in England and Wales, this isn’t always the case.
“Staffordshire bull terriers aren’t in the top 10 list of registered breeds, but sadly, they’re the most likely to end up in rescue centres.
“In fact, over the last five years, 15 per cent of the 14,707 dogs cared for by staff and volunteers at our 17 national animal centres were Staffordshire bull terriers while a further seven per cent were Staffie-crosses.”
Staffordshire terriers are the most likely to end up in rescue centres
What worries the RSPCA is that while French bulldogs do not feature on their lists of unwanted dogs, the rise in popularity will one day see them suffering a similar fate to the Staffie.
Ms Kennett said: “This breed, although becoming more common in our centres than before, still only account for a tiny proportion of those dogs coming into our care.
“However, we are concerned that the costly health issues that many of them suffer from, due to the way they’ve been bred, could mean that we see more and more in the future.”
Even labradors have topped the list of unwanted dogs
The RSPCA says it is beginning to see an increase in the number of Yorkshire terriers, shih tzus and bichon frises ending up in its care as the demand for “designer” dogs such as Yorkipoos and cavachons – using Yorkshire terriers and bichon frises to crossbreed – rises.
Ms Kennett said: “As these fashionable crossbreeds become more popular, so too does the breeding of them become more lucrative, opening up an opportunity for exploitative, underground breeders and dealers to make money with very little concern or regard for the health and welfare of their dogs.
“When the RSPCA has investigated large-scale puppy farms in England and Wales in recent years, large numbers of these types of dogs and puppies have been seized.
Emotional moment a child gets the puppy she always wanted
Small, 'handbag' dogs, are at a high risk of being dumped
“Our message here is clear and it’s irrespective of breed: no matter what type, size, age of dog you are thinking of buying or rescuing, it’s imperative you do your research first and make sure you can commit to taking on that dog for the rest of his or her life.
“No dog deserves the neglect or cruelty which we see on a daily basis and much of that is caused by our failure to do research before we taken on a dog.”
For more details about buying a healthy puppy see: www.puppycontract.org.uk