The abandonment of pets has increased by 24% in the United Kingdom, the animal protection society was alarmed on Tuesday August 30, due, according to it, to the crisis in the cost of living which is strangling British households.
Humane society RSPCA reports 22,908 pet abandonments between January and July 2022, compared to 18,375 for the same period last year.
"
The very idea of putting your cat in a crate and taking it into the woods before driving off or throwing your dog out of the car (...) is absolutely unthinkable and heartbreaking for most pet owners
said Dermot Murphy of the RSPCA.
“
Unfortunately, animals are abandoned like this every day.
»
“Pandemic and cost of living”
According to the RSPCA, the rise in abandonments is explained by the pandemic – many Britons had then adopted pets – and the crisis in the cost of living which is contracting the household budget.
Inflation is over 10% in the UK - the highest rate among G7 countries - and is expected to accelerate further under the impact of massive increases in gas and electricity bills expected this winter.
According to the RSPCA, some 20% of pet owners fear they will struggle to feed their pet.
"
We are aware that sometimes things can change unexpectedly - the pandemic and the cost of living crisis show it - but that is never an excuse to abandon an animal
", wants to remind the association.
17% increase in 2021
For its part, an association for the defense of cats has launched an appeal to Britons potentially interested in adopting a feline after the number of cats in adoption centers has increased by 46% in one year.
"
The increase is directly linked to the crisis in the cost of living
", explains Peter Shergold, of Cats Protection, while other associations are reporting increases in drop-outs.
Read alsoShelters overwhelmed by animal abandonment
The RSPCA cites the example of a dog, Freya, thrown from a truck traveling at 80 km / h, or the case of 20 abandoned puppies in the south-east of England and four snakes found in plastic boxes in South London.
Animal abandonments, the vast majority of dogs and cats, had already increased by 17% in 2021 (to 38,087) when the restrictions linked to the pandemic had been lifted.
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