RSPCA reveals Derbyshire's shocking spike in animal abandonment as Christmas cost-of-living concerns loom

Derbyshire’s 434 cases of animal abandonment in 2023 were the 12th highest figure out of 39 counties included in the RSPCA statistics report released on Monday, November 25, and represent a 14 per cent increase for the county on the 382 incidents recorded in 2021.

The charity has released the new startling statistics to highlight the challenge for frontline rescuers ahead of what is expected to be another bleak winter for thousands of animals.

RSPCA Chief Inspector Ian Briggs said: “We are seeing a shocking rise in the number of calls reporting pet abandonment to our emergency line during winter with an eye-watering 51 per cent rise in three years.

“Sadly we expect the trend will continue as more pet owners face financial hardship at this time of year more than any other.”

He added: “Our rescuers are regularly coming across dogs in poor health, collapsed and left in isolated spots to suffer a lingering death; sick kittens discarded in cardboard boxes who are lucky to be found alive; or pet rabbits dumped in the wild with little chance of survival against predators.

“With the cost of living crisis we are also seeing people having to move out of properties due to financial pressures, and we are increasingly coming across pets who have been left locked in homes alone after their owners have moved out.

“Heartbreakingly, we are seeing many pets left in their own filth - with no food or water, no-one to care for them and no idea if anyone will come to help them.”

Regular readers of the Derbyshire Times might remember the case of kittens Constance and Evelyn, which were dumped in a carrier bag on the back of a work truck in Hasland earlier this year.

At the time, Steph McCawley from the Chesterfield shelter said: “They’re friendly pets, in good condition and have obviously been cared for in the past, so it’s very sad that someone has resorted to this course of action.”

The RSPCA’s headline figure of 51 per cent figure for England and Wales is based on 3,071 animal abandonment reports received during the winter of November 2020 to January 2021, rising to 4,630 between November 2023 and January 2024.

But the cause for alarm is a year-round trend, with 20,999 abandonment reports to the charity’s emergency line across the whole of 2023 – up 30 per cent since 2020. A total of around 23,000 are expected by the time 2024 is over.

The RSPCA believes the surge in pet ownership during the Covid-19 lockdown and the increasing financial hardships due to soaring living costs have led to the increase in people dumping their pets, and with money pressures even greater around Christmas they anticipate the problem will only get worse.

For those who can afford to donate, the Join the Christmas Rescue appeal at www.rspca.org.uk will aid rescue efforts across the country. Alternatively donations can be made directly to the Chesterfield and North Derbyshire branch via https://tinyurl.com/3m5cjdx4.

Ian said: “Thanks to the public supporting us we are able to rescue many animals, rehabilitate them and find them new homes - but to continue this life-saving work we need your help.”

Pet owners who find themselves struggling to care for an animal are encouraged to contact a reputable welfare charity for support, or one of the six RSPCA-partner food banks in north Derbyshire.

For details of where to go and all available assistance, check out the dedicated cost-of-living hub at www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/costofliving.

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