UK's 'loneliest dog' is still looking for forever home after eight years

The UK's "loneliest dog" has spent eight years waiting for his forever home.

Barney, a 10-year-old cross breed, has endured 3,000 days without a human companion to care for him - a longer time than any other dog in the whole of the UK.

It comes as animal charities report an "unprecedented" surge in the number of dogs being unable to find homes. The number of dogs currently cared for by the RSPCA has doubled since July 2020 to 1,646 dogs - the highest number on record. The charity has issued a plea to prospective owners in South East England to consider adopting a dog through their yearly Adoptober rehoming campaign.

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At London's Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, 2,766 dogs and 2,454 were cared for at their three centres last year.

Barney is cared for by Freya McVey at the Dog's Trust Merseyside, which employs around 40 staff to care for 83 dogs. Clare Rooney, who also works there, said Barney arrived at just six months old.

“His family had a baby who was allergic to him, so unfortunately they had to give him up,” she told the Express. “He's been rehomed a few times over the years. But he is available for rehoming now, if the right person comes along.”

Barney is a sponsored dog meaning he “gets pampered” and has treats sent to him – especially on his birthday and Christmas thanks to the generosity of the charity’s supporters.

“He's a fantastic dog but he does have some behavioural issues that mean he’s not right for everyone,” says Clare.

The pressures on staff are huge. The cost of living crisis means caring for a dog is becoming harder. Each pooch staying at the Dog’s Trust home costs the charity £57 a day, per dog. That’s a huge £403 a week and almost £21,000 a year.

Then there are online trends which play a big part in which dogs get adopted. Black greyhounds and lurchers are often overlooked for this reason as some people believe their dark colour makes them more difficult to photograph.

Katie Radcliffe, head of rehoming and fostering at national pet charity Blue Cross, is another dog lover concerned by the current situation. “We’re seeing an unprecedented number of pets coming into our care,” she says.

“Demand for our help is rising at an alarming rate. Last year alone, dog admissions surged by nearly 20%, and the numbers keep climbing.

“Every day, our teams are receiving urgent calls for help, and we’re witnessing the heartbreaking impact of families who love their pets deeply are being forced to rehome them because they cannot afford their care any longer.”

“He’s not got the worst life for a kennel dog,” Clare says. “Sometimes it takes a while to find the right person, but we have done it in the past. The last thing you want to see is a dog living out its days in the kennels. It’s really sad, and we all get our hopes up, we all think ‘Could this finally be it?’ when someone comes to visit.”

The good news is that for anyone thinking of adopting a dog, there are plenty of ways to test if it will be the right decision for you before committing to it. Dog’s Trust offers support to those who adopt and you can even take the dog home for a night or a weekend before making things official in some cases.

As for Barney, he’ll continue to waddle around Dog’s Trust Merseyside until his new mum or dad arrives. Thankfully, the “smashing little lad” has got Clare and Freya on hand with treats aplenty.