Animal abandonment in Merseyside has increased by a fifth since 2020.
The RSPCA have released statistics which show that pet abandonment in the UK has risen to a three-year high.
Rescue shelters say this sharp increase is due to multiple factors, the cost-of-living crises being one.
However, some of the other reasons for abandonment this winter are “heart-breaking”.
According to Debbie Hughes from Freshfields animal rescue centre, three-year-old dogs were turning up on the streets as people went back to work after the 2020 Covid lockdown and didn’t have the time to look after their pets anymore.
she had been bred and discarded
Other instances of dogs being abandoned around Christmas occur when older dogs get left at a shelter or on the street so that the previous owners can get a new puppy for Christmas.
Debbie also spoke about a female dog who was found tied to a fence, still producing milk. A microchip scan revealed her name was ‘Puppy number 9’ and it was evident she had been bred and discarded when she was of no use to her previous owner.
Dermot Murphy, head of the RSPCA frontline rescue teams said: “Behind these shocking statistics are thousands of vulnerable animals. Each one is a valuable life in urgent need of our help.
“We’re desperately concerned about the coming winter months in Merseyside. Abandonments have soared and many rescue centres are full to bursting, so we are facing an unprecedented winter crisis.”
Organisations like Freshfields animal rescue urge people who are struggling to take care of their pets to not feel embarrassed and to ask for help.
Watch Naomi Houston’s video report here:
Rescue teams are set to be busier than ever this Christmas so, charities like Freshfields and the RSPCA are asking supporters to Join the Christmas Rescue by donating.
You can donate here to:
Featured image (c) MerseyNewsLive
