THE RSPCA has revealed that rescue pets are waiting longer before being adopted - with the wait rising by almost a third over the past five years, with pets at a Taunton rescue centre among those looking for a second chance.

Sophie has spent 52 days in RSPCA West Hatch’s care, without being offered a forever home - highlighting the ongoing rehoming crisis across England and Wales.

The RSPCA hopes their fortunes will soon change, as part of its annual Adoptober October rehoming drive.

Many pets have had to wait even longer than Sophie.

There are 118 dogs, cats and other animals at RSPCA national rehoming centres that have been waiting for a new home for more than 100 days.

Since 10-year-old Sophie arrived at RSPCA West Hatch Animal Centre, she has won over the hearts of everyone.

Sophie walks well on the lead and really enjoys her walks.

She is a bit hard of hearing, and also has a strong chase instinct, so is looking for a home where she can have lead walks each day, and ideally a good run in a secure area at least once a week.

She is still very active and loves to gallop about. She could potentially live with another dog pending successful introductions.

Many RSPCA rehoming centres and branches across England and Wales are now caring for pets that have been waiting for 100 days or more to be adopted - and the RSPCA hopes to find Sophie a home before she joins this ‘100 Club’.

The wait many animals are facing exacerbates the rehoming crisis because while animals wait for a new home, it prevents a space opening up for another rescued pet to arrive at the rehoming centre.

One of the reasons the RSPCA has so many long-stay animals is that its 14 national centres prioritise animals rescued from cruelty and neglect.

These are often the animals which are ‘hard to rehome’ as they need the most help with veterinary and behavioural care to rehabilitate them.

Karen Colman, who leads the RSPCA team finding places for rescued animals, said: “We are appealing to potential adopters to - where possible - consider rehoming pets which have spent a particularly long time waiting for their forever home at our centres.

“We have so many absolutely wonderful dogs, cats and rabbits who through absolutely no fault of their own are sitting at rescue centres waiting patiently for the next chapter of their lives to begin.

“That chapter cannot start without the public coming forward to offer them homes.

“As well as the lucky animals who tend to fly out of our centres into new homes, there are others who have more specific rehoming requirements because of the environments and conditions they were subjected to before being rescued.

“Very sadly, these are the animals we find most challenging to find new homes for.

“We are especially keen for those people with higher levels of pet-owning experience and patience to step forward and consider adopting one of our more ‘hard to rehome’ animals, because the situation has reached a crisis point.

“Spaces at our rehoming centres are like gold dust. The longer rescue animals remain unadopted, the longer others have to wait for a space at our rehoming centres.

“There’s a logjam that prevents another newly rescued animal from getting a rehoming place.

“We currently have hundreds of animals in our care forced to wait in temporary and emergency boarding accommodation because pets already at our rehoming centres are not being adopted fast enough.

“Our rehoming centres are crying out for people who have the desire, dedication, time, facilities and willingness to step forward and offer to adopt our long stay animals.

“They can do this with the confidence that the RSPCA rehoming team will give them all the help, advice and support they need to make the animals transition from centre to home a positive one.”

The RSPCA has a clear policy that it will not put healthy, rehomeable animals to sleep and euthanasia is only carried out, on advice of a vet, to prevent further physical or mental suffering to an animal.

The charity goes to great lengths to find the animals in its care loving homes, whether that takes weeks or months - but that means that animals are staying for longer and spaces are opening up less frequently.