UK charity forced to clear picture of 250 abandoned dogs was not AI – National
A UK animal rescue center was forced to confirm that a shocking image of dozens of rescue dogs crammed into an abandoned shelter was real, after many thought it was created by AI.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), the world’s oldest and largest animal welfare organization, said it rescued 87 dogs from an undisclosed location in the UK, while the rest were taken in by the Dogs Trust, another animal rescue organization.
The charity said it had found 250 dogs in total and shared an Instagram photo of many of them crammed inside the seemingly run-down building.
Soon after sharing the image, the charity was accused online of using artificial intelligence to create it and was forced to clarify that the image was real.
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“We can confirm that AI was not used to create this photo. As much as we wish this photo is not real, sadly, it is very much so – and is called for in many animal reports like this one. We do not need to use AI as we have many stories to share about animals helping our frontline teams,” he wrote in the comments under the first photo.
The charity explained that it sees incidents like this more often and they happen for many reasons, “such as mental health conditions, disability, bereavement and serious financial problems.”
“These cases are often complex, and the people involved need help and support to get back on track or access the services they need on their own,” he wrote.
The owner of 250 poodle-cross dogs was a vulnerable elderly person, the charity added.
“The numbers and living conditions of the dogs were quickly confused, help was sought if anyone found out how their owner was living,” it continued.
Jo Hirst, the RSPCA’s superintendent, told the Guardian that the owners would not be prosecuted because they were considered “very vulnerable.”
Mass rescues like this are on the rise, according to the organization, which responded to more than 75 incidents last year, each involving 100 or more animals.
Situations like this put a huge strain on services, the charity added, saying it was grateful to other charities and civil society organizations for their support during this complex, multi-agency process.
Similar cases have also been reported across Canada.
In October of last year, a coalition of animal rescue groups in Alberta seized more than 290 animals from two locations in northern Alberta.
The Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society (AARCS) said the rescue took place near Valleyview, Alta., about 350 kilometers northwest of Edmonton, and involved the RCMP, the Canadian Animal Task Force (CATF) and a coalition of more than a dozen animal rescue organizations across the province.
The rescue involved dogs, cats, livestock and dozens of horses that had been living in dire conditions and needed emergency care.
In 2025, the Ontario SPCA said it helped adopt 6,325 animals, including 1,917 dogs, 4,106 cats and 302 small animals.
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