RSPCA reveals more animals coming into rescue as rehoming slows amid cost-of-living crisis – Evening Standard
he RSPCA has launched an Adoptober campaign as new data reveals more pets are being relinquished to shelters at a time when fewer animals are being rehomed.
Post-lockdown lives coupled with the cost-of-living crisis offers resulted in an increase within dogs and cats becoming given up for adoption , as well as a decrease in people looking in order to adopt.
The RSPCA found that, in 2021, rehoming dropped eight per cent while animal intake is up 8. 4 per cent year-on-year.
The pandemic has been cited because a reason for the number of pets getting quit.
While many families believed lockdown was an ideal time to add a pet to their household, some have found that their animals don’t fit into their lives post-lockdown.
Additionally, some puppies and kittens born during lockdown suffered from a lack of training and social exposure, leading in order to behavioural problems.
Dr Samantha Gaines, RSPCA’s pet welfare expert, said: “It’s really concerning to see that will animals are usually staying in our care for longer and that fewer are being rehomed year-on-year.
“Unfortunately, we believe we’re really starting to see the devastating impact of the Covid-19 outbreak and the particular cost-of-living crisis.
Families cannot afford to take care of their pets amid the cost-of-living crisis
/ Markus Winkler
“Many from the animals – particularly dogs — who are coming into our own care possess behavioural challenges, which could be linked to how they were bred since well as lockdown limiting the amount of training, socialising, plus outside-world experience they had. ”
The charity has also attributed the ongoing cost-of-living problems as a major reason why families are giving up their own pets, as they cannot pay for to look after them any a lot more.
At the same time, less families are considering welcoming a new pet into their homes due to the cost of pet care.
As a result, more pets are being given up to charities without enough families available to rehome them.
The particular RSPCA’s Animal Kindness Index, released earlier this year, found that 68 % of pet owners were concerned about the increasing cost of pet care, whilst 19 per cent were worried about being able in order to afford to feed their particular pets.
Many people got pets throughout lockdown, which they now cannot look after
or Madeline Bowen/Unsplash
At a time when family members are cutting back on food and millions are usually intending in order to spend less on Christmas presents , the extra price of looking after a pet is out of reach for many.
Dr Gaines added: “We’re also beginning to see more creatures coming in to our treatment because their owners simply couldn’t afford to care for all of them any a lot more or, within the most extreme cases, having already been neglected or abandoned due to the particular rising cost of dog care.
“Sadly, this is coming in the same time that will potential pet owners are deciding right now isn’t the best time to take on a good animal due to the soaring cost of living, and feel they can’t financially commit to adding a pet to their own family from such a worrying time.
“For those who are able to bring a pet into their home, we’re urging them to actually consider adopting rather than buying. Many of our pets will already be neutered, vaccinated, plus treated with regard to fleas and worms : making it much more cost-effective – plus we’ll work with them to make sure they find their particular perfect match. ”