Hundreds of dogs found crammed in living room 'doing really well', says RSPCA

Dogs rescued from an overcrowded property earlier this year are "doing really well", the RSPCA told the BBC after an image taken by a rescuer showed more than 250 poodle-cross dogs crammed in a living room.

Lee Hopgood, the RSPCA's operational superintendent for the North of England, said that "surprisingly... the dogs are fine and doing really, really well".

However, many dogs were found with "matted and crusted coats" that required treatment.

Of the animals rescued, 87 were taken in by the RSPCA, while the remainder were taken to Dogs Trust.

After being given care and behavioural support, "many of the dogs have now been successfully rehomed and are enjoying life in their forever homes," a spokesperson for Dogs Trust said.

A number of dogs still remain in the Dogs Trust‘s care, "including those who have given birth while with us", they added.

One of the recently rescued poodle-cross dogs, Boone, was adopted by a former RSPCA inspectorate commissioner Dermot Murphy and appeared on BBC Breakfast on Thursday.

Boone was underweight, had sore ears and sore eyes when he first came into the RSPCA's care, Murphy explained.

Because of his start in life, Boone had to be carried in and out of the car when he first joined Murphy's family.

"He'd never been on a lead before, so when you put a lead on he locked his claws to the floor, he didn't know what that was".

Settling into life outside the crammed living room has been "a bit of a sensory overload", with Boone needing to be introduced to new experiences gradually.

Now, Boone can be off the lead and play with a ball.

"It's just fantastic to see how he's come out of himself and become part of our family," Murphy added.

The RSPCA 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.

In this instance, the charity said in a statement on Wednesday it would not pursue prosecution due to "extremely vulnerable nature" of the owners.

The RSPCA 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, the animal welfare charity said.

The dogs were all poodle-cross, also known as "doodles". These types of dogs 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.