Eight-week-old Cavapoo puppies named after cheese at Northamptonshire rescue centre all find new homes after more than 1,600 apply to adopt
Six eight-week-old Cavapoo puppies, who were all named after cheese at a Northamptonshire rescue centre, have found loving homes after more than 1,600 people applied to adopt them.
The pups - a crossbreed of King Charles Spaniel and Poodle - were taken to the Northamptonshire branch of the RSPCA, after they were rescued by an inspector from a home where their needs were not being met.
The four male and two female pups - who were taken into care with their mum - were named after cheese by branch staff, with the girls called Halloumi and Mozzarella and the boys named Stilton, Parmesan, Camembert and Cheddar.
After having their first vaccination, staff advertised the pups for adoption on social media this week and said they have been overwhelmed with 1,600 applications from people all over the country.
The pups have all now found loving homes, but applications are still coming in and the last Facebook post informing people the pups were reserved attracted a staggering five million views, according to the RSPCA.
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The team has now said that if every person who applied adopted another pet in the care of the charity, it would solve a rehoming crisis.
Dawn Smith, head of welfare at the branch, said: “While we are so grateful for all the interest - which was quite overwhelming for our small team to deal with - we are pleased these puppies now all have loving homes.
“But it also shows us an important lesson - that there are many people out there who want to adopt - so it would be great if they could look at other pets which might be more suitable for their needs.
“If everyone who applied for one of these puppies, and who was not successful, could now look at all the other loving pets in rescue centres up and down the county it would solve a massive rehoming crisis which the RSPCA and many other charities are now facing.”
New figures show that in 2023, 42 percent more animals arrived at the RSPCA than were adopted - leaving hundreds of dogs, cats and other animals in emergency boarding waiting for a place at a rehoming centre.
The RSPCA has launched its annual ‘Adoptober’ rehoming campaign; urging animal lovers to adopt a pet from a rescue centre rather than buying from a breeder.
Dawn added: “Some people were applying for the puppies on behalf of elderly relatives and we do think it might be better if they look past the cute puppy stage and think about the other loving pets in need of new homes who may suit their lifestyle better.
“Puppies can be demanding and need lots of training and maybe a smaller older dog or a lap cat for companionship would be a better option.
“Our rescue centres are jam-packed, and we’ve been seeing more animals coming to us than we are rehoming. We urge anyone considering adding a pet to their family to step in and help by giving a rescue pet a second chance instead of buying from breeders.
“Last year, the RSPCA took in over 40,000 dogs, cats and other animals, but only around seven out of 10 of those - 28,208 - were rehomed. This increasing discrepancy between animal intake and rehoming numbers is a worrying trend, and means so many animals are still waiting for a home.”
The Northamptonshire branch has many long-stay pets available for adoption including a sweet-natured black and white cat called Shona, who is 14 and looking for a retirement home.
Potential adopters can visit the RSPCA’s Find A Pet webpage to see all of the animals currently in the charity’s care.