RSPCA warns animal abandonments are on the rise in Cambridgeshire
They're predicting a 25% rise amid three-year high
The number of animals abandoned in Cambridgeshire is expected to rise by nearly 25% from 2020 to the end of 2023.
That's according to the RSPCA, which says animal abandonment incidents across the country have soared to a three year high.
Across England and Wales
Across England and Wales, the RSPCA says, up to the end of October this year, it's received over seventeen and a half thousand (17,838) reports of abandoned animals across England and Wales.
Comparatively, it received 16,118 reports during the whole of 2020 - showing the charity's on course to see a 32.9% rise in abandonment calls this year.
In Cambridgeshire
Here in Cambridgeshire, to the end of October this year the RSPCA's had 218 calls of animal abandonment, and anticipates it'll get over 262 by the end of the year.
This is an increase of nearly 24.6% since 2020, when it received 210 reports.
"A perfect storm"
Dermot Murphy, who heads the RSPCA frontline rescue teams, said: “The combined effects of the pandemic and the ongoing cost of living crisis has created a perfect storm - and means we expect more animals than ever will need our help this year.
"Abandonment calls to our emergency line are now at a three-year high, as we respond to an increasing number of animals being given up and dumped.
“Behind these shocking statistics are thousands of vulnerable animals. Each one is a valuable life in urgent need of our help.
“We’re desperately concerned about the coming winter months in Suffolk. Abandonments have soared and many rescue centres are full to bursting, so we are facing an unprecedented winter crisis."