RSPCA says 250 dogs found crammed into one home

Rescuers have found more than 250 poodle-cross dogs living in a single home, the RSPCA has said.

The animal welfare charity said the numbers and living conditions of the dogs, discovered at an undisclosed location in the UK, "had rapidly grown out of control amid extenuating family circumstances".

It also said a "shocking" image taken by a rescuer - showing dozens of the dogs crammed into a living room - was not generated by AI, in response to dozens of comments on social media suggesting it was fake.

The photo illustrates the "staggering reality" of the multi-animal incidents dealt with by the RSPCA, which have increased by 70% in England and Wales since 2021, it said.

The charity added that it had responded to 4,200 such incidents - which involve at least 10 animals at the same address - in the last year.

RSPCA Superintendent Jo Hirst said: "This shocking image is the reality of many multi-animal cases, and the situation our frontline officers seem to be confronting more and more - with reports of cases involving 10, 20 and even 100 animals on the rise.

"We understand that people are so aghast they don't believe what they are seeing. But this photo is not AI - it's real.

"This is the staggering reality of what can happen when even well-meaning owners become overwhelmed - over-breeding can take over, and conditions can spiral out of control."

The charity said cases of large numbers of animals being kept at one address could be linked to mental health struggles, the cost of living crisis, or breeders operating with poor practices.

Poodle-cross dogs, also known as "doodles", have risen in popularity in recent years, making up the top three types of crossbreeds owned by dog owners, according to a 2025 survey by the Dogs Trust.

In November, the RSPCA separately reported rescuing 80 dogs, mostly chiuahuas, pomeranians and cross-breeds, from a house in Bedfordshire.

Of the 250 dogs rescued at the property in the image, 87 were taken in by the RSPCA, it said, while the rest went to the Dogs Trust.

The RSPCA said the dogs that it had taken in had been sent to centres in areas including Hertfordshire, Surrey, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire for rehoming.

Two of the dogs - Stevie and Sandy - are currently awaiting adoption from the RSPCA's Southridge Animal Centre.

Stevie is blind and deaf and needs to be rehomed with the other, who has become her guide.