Animal shelters in Bournemouth and Poole are ‘full to bursting’ after the number of calls made to the RSCPA about abandoned animals rose for the fifth year running.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) took 3,555 calls in the South of England last year, and the number of abandonment calls made in the UK over the last five years has risen by almost a third.
RSPCA Inspector Tony Woodley said: “Whatever the reason for abandonments, owners have a legal responsibility to seek help for their animal and if this means making a bit of effort to find a good new home, this is what they must do.”
Owner of Canine Care, Jane Mcinnes, based in Bournemouth, said: “What’s happening is that people are abandoning animals because they can’t afford them.”
She would encourage people to only take on a pet when they are confident they can provide for it and afford veterinary treatment:
“An animal is a very big responsibility, and you have got them for life. When you want to go on holiday, who is going to look after it? Boarding kennels cost £10 a day for a small dog. Vet bills are astronomical, and insurance is almost as bad.
“If we’ve got room, we’ll take animals in, and Dorset Animal Workers are brilliant, as is the Stray Dog Sanctuary in Poole. But shelters are absolutely inundated, absolutely full to bursting. There’s simply no more room.”
To find out how to support the RSPCA please visit their website, or to report an injured or cruelly-treated animal call 0300 123 4999.
Jane Mcinnes, owner of Canine Care in Bournemouth, reiterates that a dog is not just for Christmas:
