22 Nov 2023
The charity says it fears rescue teams will be busier than ever in the run-up to Christmas after significant rise in reported incidents.
Allister Webb
Job Title
The RSPCA has warned it is facing an “unprecedented winter crisis” after it released new figures revealing the rapidly rising scale of animal abandonments.
The charity said calls reporting animals being abandoned in England and Wales were up by 48% last month, compared with the same time in 2020.
More abandonment incidents have also been recorded already this year than in either 2020 or 2021 and the group estimates a total of more than 21,000 cases by the end of the year.
The charity has now launched a Christmas Rescue campaign amid fears that its personnel will be busier than ever in the run-up to the festive period.
RSPCA inspectorate commissioner Dermot Murphy said: “The combined effects of the pandemic and the ongoing cost of living crisis has created a perfect storm – and means we expect more animals than ever will need our help this year.
“We’re desperately concerned about the coming winter months – abandonments have soared and many rescue centres are full to bursting, so we are facing an unprecedented winter crisis.”
A total of 1,800 abandonment incidents were reported to the charity in October – an increase of 48.1% on the same month in 2020.
To the end of October, 17,838 cases had been reported in all, meaning the annual total for 2023 is currently on course to be nearly a third higher than that recorded in 2020 at 21,417.
Mr Murphy said: “Behind these shocking statistics are thousands of vulnerable animals. Each one is a valuable life in urgent need of our help.”
More information about the campaign is available on the RSPCA website.
