Hundreds of pets abandoned and neglected across the East at Christmas
The RSPCA is gearing up for another bumper festive season
Hundreds of pets were abandoned or neglected across Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex at Christmas time last year.
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 nationally, 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.
In Norfolk over 280 pets were abandoned or neglected between December and February last year, that was 180 in Suffolk, and over 400 in Essex.
During the pandemic, pet ownership surged with estimates of more than 3.2m people taking on the care of new pets.
The RSPCA is 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."