RSPCA in North Yorkshire warns of "crisis in animal welfare"
The Charity is having to pay to put animals in private boarding because centres are full
The RSPCA is urging the public to consider adopting a pet instead of buying - as with its rescue centres full, the number of animals in private boarding has soared, costing the charity in the region of £500,000 a month.
The charity says the cost of living crisis has left rescue centres facing an ‘animal welfare crisis’ as animals are coming into its care faster than they are being adopted.
Currently, there are more than 1,400 animals waiting in private boarding centres because RSPCA centres are full; 46 in North Yorkshire alone.
The animal welfare charity is increasingly having to rely on private boarding to look after animals in need, and that comes at a huge cost. The RSPCA currently has 1,441 animals in private boarding, costing in the region of £500,000 a month - or approximately £125,000 per week. That includes 503 dogs - costing more than £50,000 each week - as well as 126 rabbits, 201 cats, 285 horses, 58 exotic animals and 126 farm animals.
Seven RSPCA branches operate in North Yorkshire, rehoming hundreds of animals a year. But the charity still relies on private boarding facilities to help care for all the animals who need help.
Shih tzu Timmy pictured below was incredibly matted when he was rescued by the RSPCA with his friend, Jenny. He needed grooming urgently and has been staying in a private boarding centre in North Yorkshire while the pair wait for space in a rehoming centre to become available for them.
This comes at the RSPCA’s busiest time of year when the charity receives a report of cruelty every five minutes. Cruelty is already on the rise with more than 44,000 reports of cruelty made to the RSPCA in the first six months of 2024 - 2% higher than the previous year. And staff fear that the worst is still to come.
Karen Colman, Head of Animal Logistics and Welfare Oversight at the RSPCA, said: “As we celebrate our 200th birthday this year, it’s incredible to see how far animal welfare has come since our founding in 1824. But the sad reality is that there’s still so much to do, and we’re currently facing an animal welfare crisis. Cruelty is on the rise at a time when our rescue and rehoming centres are at breaking point with the number of animals coming in versus the number being rehomed.
“We currently have 503 dogs waiting to come into our rehoming centres and, while they wait, they’re being cared for by an amazing network of private boarding kennels - but, amid the cost of living crisis, many of these have also had to increase their prices, making it a growing expense for us. The bills we’re facing are mounting every month.
“Sadly, more animals in need are coming into us all the time - many who have been the victims of awful cruelty, abuse and neglect - and rehoming rates have struggled in recent years as many families feel the pinch of the cost of living crisis and make the decision not to take on a pet.
“We’re launching an urgent appeal to those families who do feel they commit to the cost and responsibility of a pet to please consider adopting a rescue instead of buying from a breeder or a pet shop. We have hundreds of animals in our care with so much love to give, they just need a chance.”