The photo that left people so aghast they thought it was AI

The RSPCA has been forced to deny a photo of dozens of dogs crammed into a living room was AI-generated.

The animal charity revealed on its website that more than 250 poodle-cross dogs were found at a property earlier this year, but an accompanying image was dismissed as fake by people on social media.

Some Facebook commenters accused the charity of using artificial intelligence to make it.

"We can confirm that AI has not been used to create this image," the RSCPA said.

"As much as we wish this image wasn't real, sadly it very much is - and we are being called to more and more multi-animal reports like this.

"We don't need to use AI as we have countless stories to share about the animals our frontline teams are helping."

The numbers and living conditions of the dogs at the property had grown out of control during extenuating family circumstances, the RSPCA said.

It took in 87 dogs, while the rest went to the Dogs Trust.

'Staggering reality'

On Wednesday, RSPCA superintendent Jo Hirst said she wasn't surprised some questioned the authenticity of the "shocking" image.

"We understand that people are so aghast they don't believe what they are seeing," she said.

"But this photo is not AI – it's real. This is the staggering reality of what can happen when even well-meaning owners become overwhelmed – overbreeding can take over, and conditions can spiral out of control."

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The charity said that in the last year, it had responded to 4,200 incidents which involved at least 10 animals at the same address across England and Wales.

Meanwhile, it said it is dealing with a six-year high of animals in its care due to "rising cruelty and neglect", with almost half in emergency boarding as "many of the charity's centres are full to bursting point".

The RSPCA's AI policy states: "We will be transparent about our use of AI-generated imagery, clearly labelling any content that has been (wholly or partially) created using this technology.

"It also states that we will only use AI to accurately represent our work and our purpose. We will not use this technology to create misleading or deceptive images."

(c) Sky News 2026: The photo that left people so aghast they thought it was AI