RSPCA launches tear-jerking Christmas film showing how pets help tackle loneliness
It comes as a poll found 45 per cent of pet owners said their pets have helped their mental health during lockdown
A West Sussex based animal welfare charity has launched its moving Christmas video, to show how pets have helped tackle loneliness and isolation this year.
The RSPCA's film features Backstreet Boys’ hit 'As Long As You Love Me' and follows the story of an elderly man who is feeling lonely and isolated during the coronavirus pandemic, after losing his wife and his dog.
His loneliness is mirrored by an abandoned dog, played by real-life rescue Storm, who finds himself alone and in the cold until he is rescued by the charity.
It sees the man contact the RSPCA and get matched with Storm, bringing him home in time to introduce his new companion to family and friends on Zoom at Christmas.
The festive video shows how pets can help tackle loneliness and improve people's mental health.
You can watch the RSPCA's Christmas video here:
An RSPCA poll carried out by YouGov found 45 per cent of all pet owners surveyed said their pets have helped their mental health during lockdown.
Meanwhile a recent study carried out by the Universities of Lincoln and York also found that having a pet helped people maintain better mental health during lockdown.
More than 90 per cent of the 6,000 participants said their pet had helped them cope emotionally.
Chris Sherwood, chief executive of the RSPCA, said:
"We all know that pets make fantastic companions but to know that not only do they help tackle loneliness but can also improve our mental health is truly amazing!
"It’s therefore no surprise that during what has been a particularly tough year, we have seen a huge surge in people interested in adopting pets.
"We know how important it is that people think ahead and make sure they can give a pet a loving home for life, just like Storm and his new owner in the film.
"We hope this Christmas video will tug on people’s heartstrings and show people how rewarding it is to adopt from the RSPCA.
"We expect to rescue thousands of animals in need this winter and we can’t do that without the generous support of our fellow animal lovers so we hope this touching film will also encourage supporters to donate to the RSPCA and help us continue our vital work."
Singer and RSPCA press officer Lucy Ellie Cooper recorded a cover of ‘As Long As You Love Me’ by the Backstreet Boys for the film, and the video was created by in-house broadcast team Alan Laxton and Lewis Jones.
Canine star of the film Storm was rescued by the RSPCA during the first lockdown in March.
He went into the care of RSPCA Stubbington Ark after his previous owners could no longer care for him.
The charity said Storm was "incredibly overweight and was put on a strict diet", before being adopted by RSPCA press officer Amy Ockelford, who also stars in the film.
David Underhill, who is from Storrington, plays the human star of the Christmas video.
His daughter works for the RSPCA and David volunteered his time for free.
The festive Zoom call features Inspector Herchran Boal and Inspector Anthony Joynes from the RSPCA’s programme Dog Rescuers.
Herchy is featured with her two rescue dogs Loki and Murphy and Anthony with his son Caleb.
Also on the Zoom call, is head of media Catherine Peerless and her two children Robyn and Wren, as well as Hewitt Grant, head of property at the RSPCA, and his children Dante and Aria.
Last Christmas Day, the charity received more than 950 calls to its cruelty line - the highest number since 2013.
It received 63,000 calls throughout December, or 2,000 a day, making it the busiest Christmas period for at least four years.
This year, the RSPCA is said to be "concerned that more people may struggle to care for their pets and could see a rise in them being abandoned or neglected, putting more pressure on the charity’s rescue teams than ever before".
People can support the charity's Christmas appeal here.