Pet abandonments in Wiltshire rise due to the cost-of-living pressures
164 animals were left to fend for themselves in the county in 2023
Last updated 27th Nov 2024
More animals are being left to fend for themselves in Wiltshire as financial pressure on families grows - according to the RSPCA.
New figures from the charity revealed 164 pets were abandoned in 2023 - with national figures up by a third in the last three years.
And the charity is expecting the growing trend to continue this winter as more pet owners face financial hardship thanks to the cost-of-living crisis, as well as the cost of buying Christmas presents and extra food shopping, alongside higher energy bills.
RSPCA Chief Inspector Ian Briggs said: “We are seeing a shocking rise in the number of calls reporting pet abandonment to our emergency line during winter with an eye-watering 51% rise in three years. Sadly we expect the trend will continue as more pet owners face financial hardship at this time of year more than any other.
“Our rescuers are regularly coming across dogs in poor health, collapsed and left in isolated spots to suffer a lingering death; sick kittens discarded in cardboard boxes who are lucky to be found alive; or pet rabbits dumped in the wild with little chance of survival against predators."
Chief Inspector Briggs said the after affects of the pandemic are leaving more and more families facing unthinkable decisions.
"Following on from the pandemic, we saw the cost-of-living crisis hit, and year-on-year people's finances are being stretched, and that's led to an overall increase of about 30%."
To help struggling owners, the RSPCA has launched a dedicated cost of living hub to signpost the help available to owners.
CI Briggs also warned against giving a pet as a Christmas gift as costs of having a pet are now 'considerable'.
Pets left behind with no food, no water and no hope
The charity said many pets are left in their own mess, with no food or water, no-one to care for them and not knowing if anyone will come to help them.
Jack and Poppy - pictured above - were left behind when a family moved out of a home, something that's becoming more common.
The pair of pups were left to starve on a dirty mattress, but fortunately both were rescued by the RSPCA and were said to have been 'hours from death'. The duo have since been rehomed.
Inspector Anthony Joynes, who helped the pups, said: “Poppy and Jack were one of the saddest sights of my career - they were like skeletons and were suffering fur loss due to a severe skin condition. They looked so depressed and it was almost as though they had given up on life.
“It was terribly upsetting that they were left like that and a fridge freezer had been placed across the front door of the flat almost in a crude attempt to seal the dog’s fate.