Fears over neglected animals in Rutland this Christmas
The RSPCA is concerned this year will be no different
Four pets were neglected in Rutland between December 2020 and February 2021.
It comes as the RSPCA have raised concerns over the number of increasing abandoned pets during the winter months.
Last December, the RSPCA received one call every minute, one report of an abandoned animal every hour, and took 70 rescue animals into RSPCA care every day despite England and Wales having strict restrictions in place.
During the pandemic, pet ownership surged with estimates of more than 3.2m people taking on the care of new pets.
The RSPCA are worried that with people returning to work, the end of furlough and the rise in prices and energy bills, as Christmas gets closer, that the increased stress and pressures will see a rise in abandonment, neglect and even abuse of animals.
Dr Jane Tyson, a Scientific Officer for the companion animals department, said:
"Animal abandonment levels have risen to almost pre-pandemic and we fear it will only get worse over the Christmas season."
Dermot Murphy, who heads the RSPCA frontline rescue teams, said officers will be saving animals across England and Wales throughout the festive season, including Christmas Day.
"Our frontline rescue teams are braced for the worst this Christmas."
Dr Tyson went on to express her concern for their resources as they predict more and more calls to be coming in:
"More calls to our call centre puts greater demands on our resources and our services, and that's one of the reasons why this appeal has been launched."