More than 250 dogs have been found on a UK property in such shocking conditions that animal welfare organisation the RSPCA was forced to deny allegations that the published photos were created by artificial intelligence.
The organization said it took in 87 dogs, with the rest transferred to another rescue organization, Dogs Trust. The property is located in an undisclosed location in Britain.
After the RSPCA published photos online showing dozens of dogs huddled in a single living room space, some social media users claimed the images were created with AI. But the organization insisted they were authentic.
According to the RSPCA, since 2021 there has been a 70% increase in cases of multiple animals, i.e. situations where 10 or more animals are found at one address.
The property owners told inspectors they had lost control over the breeding of the dogs, mainly poodle mixes, and the situation "quickly spiraled out of control."
Jo Hirst, RSPCA superintendent, said:
"This shocking image is the reality of the many multi-animal cases our officers are increasingly facing. Reports of cases involving 10, 20 and even 100 animals are on the rise.
"We understand that people are so surprised that they can't believe what they're seeing. But this picture isn't AI, it's real. This is what can happen when even well-intentioned owners get overwhelmed and uncontrolled breeding gets out of control."
The organization said the owners were considered "extremely vulnerable," so it decided not to prosecute them. According to experts, such cases are often linked to mental health problems, the cost of living crisis or poor breeding practices.
Among the rescued dogs are Stevie and Sandy, who are looking for a new family. Stevie, a cocker spaniel, is blind and deaf.
Last year alone, the RSPCA responded to 4,200 incidents in England and Wales where at least 10 animals were found at the same address.
