Dog news: London’s loneliest dog finally finds a forever home after 500 days | Nature | News

The solitary pooch made the headlines two months ago when the rescue centre posted a picture of her on Facebook. Namesd Hattie, the adorable black cocker spaniel can now look forward to a new life with a loving family.

Adopting the dog, Dean and Tracey Blackmore will be taking Hattie back to their home in Surrey from the RSPCA’s shelter in Southridge.

The couple, having passed the criteria to adopt a pet took Hattie home on Sunday, March 13.

Once the pair had arrived home with their new family member, Mr Blackmore said: “She’s such a loving dog. She follows us around and loves attention.

“She’s a working spaniel so she’s got lots of energy. Bless her, it’s like having a little baby sometimes.”

The newly adopted pet arrived at the animal care centre back in 2020 when her previous owners found it challenging to cope with her behaviour.

Hattie does come with a few behavioural problems, which were discovered and treated when she was in the shelter.

In an Instagram post celebrating the adoption of Hattie, the Blackmore’s said: “You May have already seen Hattie online after being dubbed “London’s Loneliest Dog.

“The RSPCA has been inundated with applications and by some luck, we were fortunate enough to be the chosen ones.

“We have spent a number of weeks visiting Hattie at RSPCA Southridge, where we have been getting to know her and her complexities, having had a very rough start to life!”

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The couple went on to thank the RSPCA for their work in keeping Hattie over 500 days.

Mr Blackmore added: “She’s had a grumble, but we’re fully aware of how to deal with that.

“To be honest, we saw the worst of Hattie at the RSPCA so nothing is going to come as a shock.

“It is not gonna be an easy ride. We’re well aware of what we’re going for and we’re going into this with our eyes wide open.

“We’re working with a dog behaviour expert who specialises in helping owners overcome the type of issues Hattie displays so we’re positive about her future.”

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According to petkeen.com an estimated 2.7 million animals enter UK animal shelters each year. Of these, 1.2 million are cats, 664,000 are dogs, and 184,000 are other animals.

Over 50 percent of dogs entering UK animal shelters are not spayed or neutered.

As a result, over 2 million puppies are born every year, and 600,000 of them will die before their first birthday.

The site adds animal shelters in the UK euthanize over 200,000 animals every year.