Don’t give pets as Christmas presents, warns SSPCA

An animal welfare charity says it has received four times as many calls since 2022 from people looking to give up their pets.

The Scottish SPCA claims the cost-of-living crisis is putting a new strain on owners who are struggling to afford to look after their animals.

Soaring vet bills, grooming fees and rising energy costs are leaving some people with no other option but to rehome their pets.

"Please don't purchase animals for a present"

Gilly Mendes Ferreira, Director of Innovation & Strategic Relations at the animal charity helpline, said: “Please don’t purchase animals for a present for other people.

“They do cost a lot of money; you need insurance, you need to be able to pay for their food, their vet bills, their vaccinations and everything so it’s such an important decision to make.

"Our main aim is that we want to try and keep people and pets together as much as possible.

"When someone is looking to give up their pet we will give them the best advice we can; we will signpost them to foodbanks that our pet aid services are supporting."

"We are seeing a lot of neglect"

“We are seeing a lot of neglect and certainly when animals are arriving into our care, they are arriving with much more significant veterinary issues.

“Taking an animal away from somebody can have a significant impact on that person’s mental health. They will then maybe struggle to interact socially; they maybe stop going out to the shops and can become quite reclusive.

“What we do say is please if you are struggling looking after your pet, please contact our animal hotline, 03000 999 999. Please call us before it’s too late, before your animal ends up suffering.”

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