The current cost of living crisis has forced many dog owners across the county to rehome their beloved pets.

And recent research has shown French Bulldogs are the breed most likely to be rehomed across East Lancashire.

In Blackburn, out of the 202 dogs placed up for adoption in the last year, 52 French Bulldogs were listed, more than a quarter of all dogs listed.

In Burnley, the number of French Bulldogs put up for adoption was 24 - 20 per cent of the total number of dogs needing to be rehomed, which stood at 118.

However, in Hyndburn, the most popular breed given up for adoption was the American Bully.

Out of the 164 dogs needing to be rehomed in the area, 26 of them, or 16 per cent were American Bullys.

By using the RSPCA’s search tool to find rescue dogs determined by breed and age and then cross-referenced by location, website for dog breeders, PuppyHero, looked at the UK areas with the most dogs available for adoption.

The following list shows the areas in Lancashire with the most number of dogs up for adoption.

It shows the area, the number of dogs up for adoption, and the most common breed given up by owners, annd how many are up for rehoming.

  • Fylde: 204, Labrador Retriever 37
  • West Lancashire: 277, Labrador Retriever, 35
  • Wyre: 250, Cocker Spaniel, 42
  • Hyndburn: 164, American Bully, 26
  • South Ribble: 224, French Bulldog, 28
  • Lancaster: 283, Labrador Retriever, 64
  • Blackpool: 198, French Bulldog, 32
  • Blackburn: 202, French Bulldog, 52
  • Burnley: 118, French Bulldog, 24
  • Preston: 190, French Bulldog, 23

With an estimated 660,000 dogs being rehomed in the UK each year, the numbers are expected to rise, but rescue centres don’t have the capacity to cope with this increase.

Spokesperson for RSPCA, Amy Ockleford, provided insight into the state of dog rehoming and what people can do to help.

She said: “The RSPCA rescues and rehomes thousands of dogs across England and Wales every year.

“The dogs we are most likely to see in our centres are Staffordshire bull terriers, lurchers, Jack Russell terriers, German shepherds and crossbreeds.

"Sadly, we're seeing lots of animals coming into our care at the moment due to the rising cost of living, with owners having to make heart-breaking decisions to part with their pets as they struggle to pay household bills and feed their families.

“We're also seeing a lot of dogs come to us who have behavioural challenges due to being reared during the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown, which has left many with severe separation anxiety and lacking vital socialisation skills.

"We'd urge anyone who thinks they can commit to a dog - both time-wise and financially - to please consider taking on a rescue dog.

“Our centres are full of dogs of all shapes, sizes, ages and breeds, all of who are patiently waiting to find their perfect match.”

To help the RSPCA rescue, rehabilitate and rehome more dogs visit the website.