Workers are inundated with calls from owners struggling to feed and care for their pets. Between January and July this year, the charity received 22,098 animal abandonment reports, up from 18,375 in the same period last year, while in the first five months of 2022, 49% more rabbits, 14% more cats and 3% more dogs were abandoned. . An animal shelter in Worcestershire said it was “absolutely full of animals” while bills soared. In July, the centre’s busiest month so far this year, total running costs came to £7,500, double its average monthly bill. “I’ve been working in animal rescue for 12 years and we’re always busy, but this is different. It’s like our noses are just above water and you just feel: Oh my God, this is almost too much,” said Ned Cotton, manager of The Holdings rescue center in Kempsey. “We are now really seeing the issue of the cost of living crisis. People have to choose between feeding themselves and feeding their pets. It’s a horrible situation for a lot of people to be in.” The charity has seen a 9% rise in calls to its emergency helpline this year, many from people struggling with vet bills, and its latest survey showed 19% of pet owners are worried about how they will afford to feed their pets their. “I get multiple calls a day from members of the public who are struggling, and now I definitely hear money as a big factor,” Cotton said. “And it’s difficult from our perspective because sometimes we can help, but often we don’t have the space.” He added: “There is a huge backlog, we have animals in private boarding facilities waiting for spaces to become available in rescue centers like ours. We currently have two cat slots but they will be filled in the next couple of days.” In just one day in August, the shelter took in nine abandoned cats and three rabbits. Claire Wood, a volunteer at the centre, said: “At times it feels like we are drowning and struggling to save, care for and re-home the endless stream of animals we see.” While abandoned animals are on the rise, the number of people re-homing has slowed. In 2019 the charity rehomed an average of 753 animals per week. This dropped to 518 per week in 2021 and rates are still slow. “Because of the cost of living crisis, people are going to make judgments, they’re going to make calls about how their money is being spent. We noticed that the homecoming slowed down in July and people are not donating. so many people just can’t afford it anymore,” Cotton said. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. The RSPCA recently launched the Cancel Out Cruelty campaign to help raise funds for rescue groups saving animals on the frontline. The charity is also concerned that the cost of living crisis is leading to more pets being neutered, without microchips and not getting medical care when they need it. “We’re seeing people not buying pet insurance and we’ve seen a trend over the last few months where people aren’t taking care of their pets on time. We had a dog that had to have his entire ear canal removed, probably because it was shedding seeds and getting progressively worse because it wasn’t treated,” Cotton said. His main concern was how the shelter would cope in the coming months, as energy bills are expected to soar even higher. “Often people think ‘how can people give up their pet, how could anyone do that?’ he said. “But there are often very real reasons behind it and I think with the cost of living crisis, I dread to think what will happen in the coming months.”
