RSPCA has received reports of 750 abandoned animals in Essex so far this year
The figure's up 50% on 2021
The RSPCA says there's been an increase of more than 50% in the number of abandoned animals being reported to them in Essex, compared to this time last year.
Across the county, there were 854 abandoned animals reported in total last year - there have already 750 so far this year.
They think it's in part due to the cost of living crisis and fear even more animals will be given up 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.”
A recent report released by the RSPCA in partnership with the Scottish SPCA coinfirmed that the cost of living crisis is the most urgent threat to pet welfare in the UK.
The Animal Kindness Index showed that 78% of pet owners think the cost of living will impact their animals, with 68% expressing concern that the cost of care was increasing, and a fifth worried about how they’ll afford to feed their pets.
Nationally
The number of animals being dumped is also on the rise nationally with a 17% increase from 2020 to 2021 and a 24% increase in 2022.
From January to July 2021 there were 18,375 abandonment reports compared to 22,908 in the first seven months of this year.
Dogs were the most abandoned pet with 14,462 reports of dumped dogs made to the RSPCA last year. Cats were the second most abandoned pet with 10,051 reports of cats being callously dumped in 2021. There were also 3,363 abandoned exotic pets reported to the RSPCA including 1,455 fish and 685 snakes.