1h ago
Organisers of the annual Animal Medicines Amnesty have appealed for pet owners to act responsibly after a new survey found many would either keep medicines or potentially dispose of them unsafely.
Allister Webb
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Image: © Larry Allen / Adobe Stock
But officials from RUMA CA&E (Companion Animal and Equine) who run the campaign say those admissions raise concerns about both potential environmental contamination and medicine resistance.
Secretary general Steve Howard said: “For pet owners, the message is simple: don’t save unwanted medicines for another day or throw them away at home.
“Instead, they should be taken back to a vet practice for safe disposal.”
The appeal is based on the findings of a survey commissioned by RUMA CA&E, which organises the annual amnesty campaign.
Among around 1,000 pet owners who participated in the YouGov poll last month, only 26 per cent said they were most likely to return unused medicines to their vet.
The largest proportion, 34 per cent, said they would probably keep them, while 19 per cent said they would put them into their household bin.
But a further 5 per cent, the equivalent of around a million pet owners based on published population estimates, said they would get rid of them via their sink or toilet.
Other answers included giving them to an owner whose pet had similar symptoms or needs (4 per cent) and taking them to a pet store (3 per cent).
Amnesty leaders have urged practices to use the campaign, which runs throughout November, to help raise awareness of the issue with their clients and to make it easy for them to return unused or out of date medicines.
Mr Howard said; “By taking part, practices can help turn conversations about responsible medicines use into tangible action, supporting animal health, public health and environmental protection.”
Campaign resources are available via the amnesty website.