Staffy 'stood up' at speed dating rehoming event

A dog's wait for her forever home is set to continue after she was stood up at a speed dating-style event designed to introduce her to potential new owners.

Maisy, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier cross, was taken in by the RSPCA's Suffolk Central branch a couple of months ago after inspectors found her abandoned.

On Tuesday, in the hope of finding the seven-year-old a loving family, staff-turned-matchmakers arranged for her to meet four prospectives owners. But despite a lot of interest in the event beforehand, nobody arrived - leaving the team in Martlesham "heartbroken".

"She hadn't had much direct interest, so we wanted to try and promote her in a good way and make it easier to get people to come in to see her," said Lucy Calver, senior kennel assistant.

"We did it so people could have a 15-minute date with her and hoped it would be enough time for her to win them over.

"There had been quite a bit of interest, but when it came to people booking a slot, sadly that didn't come through – so, yeah, she was stood up."

Maisy, who thrives on human companionship and affection, is described as having a "cheerful personality" and "incredible love" for people.

She is currently on a weight-loss journey and needs to be the only pet in an experienced home, though she may be able to live with children aged eight and over.

"I don't know why nobody came to see her, but Staffy breeds do have a bit of a bad reputation, which we're trying to change, because they're beautiful dogs," said Calver.

"If you just come and meet Maisy and see how beautiful she is, we think you'll fall in love with her."

In July 2025, the RSPCA had 1,646 dogs in its care - the highest number on record and more than double the figure for July 2020.

Of all the animals in its centres, a third were dogs, with 445 of them rescued in July alone, compared to a five-year average of 245 per month.

The Suffolk Central branch currently has 10 dogs in need of new homes. It rehomed 29 dogs in 2025, 28 in 2024 and 33 in 2023.

Calver said the centre had seen a "drop-off", with rehoming rates "not as high as they once were".

"The cost-of-living is a big factor," she said. "The cost of day-to-day stuff for dogs is increasing and people just don't have the funds.

"That's also one of the big reasons why dogs come to us in the first place - people can't afford them, or their working hours change.

"We try and make it as simple as possible but we're not willing to put a dog in a home that we know wouldn't be appropriate for it."

About 20% of rehomed dogs in the UK are later returned due to behavioural challenges or changes in circumstances, according to Pets4Homes.

Calver admits she gets "attached to all" the dogs she cares for, but finds comfort in being able to "make such a positive change" to their lives.

"Maisy was abandoned in her previous home - how someone can abandon such a sweet girl like that, I'm not sure. But she is now in good hands, and we are going to find her a good home."

The Dogs Trust said it had "not seen any indication that fewer dogs" were being rehomed in the East of England, but said its rehoming centres remained extremely busy.

"Last year, we received over 40,000 handover enquiries nationally from owners forced to make the difficult decision to rehome their dogs," a spokesperson said.

"So we would encourage anyone looking to add a dog to their family to consider adopting from one of our rehoming centres."

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