Hattie, a two year-old Cocker Spaniel, is currently the longest-standing resident at Southridge Animal Centre, Potters Bar, having stayed there since August 2020.
Southridge Animal Centre is the RSPCA's closest rescue centre to London, rehoming pets in the capital and further afield.
Hattie was originally brought to the centre after her previous owners struggled with her behaviour.
Thankfully, by December, Hattie had been adopted again but not long after, she was returned to Southridge, My London reports.
"She's an absolutely beautiful girl, and unfortunately we have struggled to find her a home because of her additional needs," explains Cathie Ward, an Animal Care Assistant who has worked at the centre for four years.
"She does get frustrated quite easily - she's very active. She does like being around people, but it takes her some time to actually get to know you. You can't do too much too soon with her."
Because Cocker Spaniels are working dogs, Hattie is energetic, which has overwhelmed previous owners.
"It's just finding that experienced home with someone who's willing to actually work with her. With the breed that she is, she's got a high drive and she's constantly on the go. So she needs that stimulation and enrichment in the home to help her."
There are a few other requirements for Hattie's potential owners: being able to take her to training classes, living in a rural or semi-rural area with green space, a secure garden and an adult-only home, with no other pets.
Although she is medically well and able to be adopted quickly, Cathie stresses the importance of Hattie's potential owners making time to come down to the centre to get to know her before adopting, to unlock that soft, trusting side of her personality.
"Once she knows people, she does calm down a lot - she's lovely and very cuddly, but it does take a while for her to get to that stage and to trust you," she says.
Hattie's 18-month stay at the centre is not unprecedented, but, of the 33 dogs currently in its care, she has been there the longest. Some dogs, particularly puppies and the "cute, fluffy ones" like Labradors, Border Terriers and Jack Russells, can be rehomed in a matter of days, with people travelling from around the country to collect them.
"Obviously, everyone wants a puppy, so we always get bombarded with applications for them, which is great," says Cathie.
"People do go by looks - cute little fluffy things will always get loads of enquiries, and sometimes that can be worse because they're not necessarily paying attention to the dog's needs...with Hattie, for instance, she's a gorgeous little girl, but people aren't paying attention to her needs, and that's why we struggle."
Like Hattie, dogs with behavioural or medical needs tend to be harder to rehome, along with crossbreeds, and older dogs, like Hattie's neighbour Jake.
A nine-year-old German Shepherd, Jake has been around for much of Hattie's stay. He has stayed at the centre since November 2020.
The most common reason dogs are brought to the rescue centre is down to the owner's change of circumstances: people having to move out of rented accommodation suddenly, losing their jobs, or relationships breaking down, for example.
Although there was a dramatic rise in people buying pets during the pandemic, the RSPCA say that it has made it harder to rehome dogs, especially those with complex needs. At Southridge, uncertainty about the future meant that fewer people were adopting pets.
"He's a lovely boy - really affectionate," says Cathie about Jake. "You can give him cuddles, he likes to sit on the benches or the sofa with you. He's a good boy and he'd be lovely in the home. He's a lovely companion, but again, he's looking for experienced owners who are happy to take on any existing traits."
Although Jake had a happy life with his previous owner, his age is one of the reasons he has been with the centre for so long.
"Nine is old for a dog, and people are concerned about how long they're doing to have with them," she says. "With us here, we think differently: we love the oldies [being rehomed] because it gives them that nice, loving home, even if they've only got a couple of years with them...That's quite rewarding in my eyes."
Southridge does have older dogs in its care, including 12 year-old Zeb and 16 year-old Gemma, both Jack Russell Terriers looking to be rehomed together. Because of their age, Cathie says the centre does not receive any enquiries about them.
When it's not possible to rehome a dog, staff will often end up fostering dogs themselves - especially the oldies.
"For us, when they get older, we do worry and we don't want their last days to be here - we want them to be in a loving home," she says. "There are some people out there that actually contact us and say: 'I want an old animal, I want to give them that retirement home.' We love people like that."
There is still hope for Hattie and Jake. On the morning that we talk, Izzi, a young crossbreed who has been with them a year, has just found a new owner.
"It's bittersweet. Obviously, we form attachments to them, we bond with them," says Cathie. "It's hard. But at the same time, seeing them rehomed, especially the long-stay ones or the oldies...we're always ecstatic when they go off."
For now, Hattie and Jake are still waiting. But with interest in adoption increasing again post-lockdown, Cathie is optimistic that both will find their "perfect forever homes".
"Sometimes we wait years - we've had dogs here for four or five years and eventually a home comes through for them -we try to make their lives as happy as possible here, and just hope that one day it comes," she says. "It's the best feeling when it does happen."
To find out more about rehoming Hattie, Jake, or another dog at Southridge Animal Centre, visit their website.
For more stories from where you live, visit InYourArea.
