Rescue dog 'sadly' returns to kennels after home offered

Moves to find Basher a home have been ongoing to almost two years

A dog weighing 9st 4lb (60kg) who has struggled to find a home for almost two years has been returned to the kennels.

The two-year-old mastiff was found a home last month, but RSPCA Cornwall said "sadly it didn't work out".

Basher was rescued as a stray puppy in January 2020, but potential adopters have been put off by his size.

The charity said the couple who offered him a home had "experience with his breed... but he just didn't cope in their home".

'Quite destructive'

Sammy Howard, from the RSPCA centre in St Columb, added: "What we've learnt about Basher is that, actually, when he's around people, he can be quite destructive.

"He was just like a tornado around their house and they couldn't stop him, which did frighten them, as he's a 60kg dog that they couldn't control."

The animal welfare charity said it was "gutted that Basher's new home didn't work out but we remain hopeful that he'll find his forever home".

It said it would learn from his behaviour and continue to search for the "right home" and would be advising potential adopters to visit Basher on multiple occasions beforehand.

"We feel he has settled into the routine in kennels and struggled with the changes of going into a new home so we plan to move slower next time," the charity said.

"We'd like to find him a more rural home with less stimulation, and with someone who is willing to come and meet him a few times before we can try a day trip to their house for a gradual introduction."