185 animals abandoned in Dorset so far this year

The RSPCA is concerned the cost of living crisis will lead to more

Published 31st Aug 2022

The RSCPA says it's received 185 reports of abandoned animals in Wiltshire already this year.

The figure from January to the end of July, compares with 329 pets dumped during 2021.

Worrying rise

Across England and Wales in 2021, the charity saw an average of 104 reports of abandoned animals every day, or four abandoned animals every hour.

From January to July 2021 there were 18,375 abandonment reports compared to 22,908 in the first seven months of this year - a rise of 24%.

The charity fears that a huge rise in pet ownership during the pandemic coupled with the cost of living crisis putting a strain on people’s finances means even more animals are being given up this year.

Dogs picked up by the RSPCA after they were dumped earlier this year

Dermot Murphy, Chief Inspectorate Officer at the RSPCA, said:

“The idea of putting your cat in a cat carrier and taking them to a secluded spot in the woods before walking away, or chucking your dog out of the car and driving off leaving them desperately running behind the vehicle, is absolutely unthinkable and heartbreaking to most pet owners - but sadly we are seeing animals callously abandoned like this every single day.

“We understand that sometimes the unexpected can happen - the pandemic and cost of living crisis proved that - but there is never an excuse to abandon an animal. There are always other options for anyone who has fallen on hard times and can no longer afford to keep their pet.”

The charity has released the stark figures as part of its Cancel Out Cruelty summer campaign, which aims to raise funds to help keep its rescue teams and centres running

The charity says added that dogs are the most abandoned pet across England and Wales with cats second.

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