'Bleak' number of Yorkshire pets abandoned by their owners

New figures have revealed a stark increase in the number of animals abandoned in Yorkshire. According to the latest figures from RSPCA, 1,172 pets were abandoned by their owners last winter in West Yorkshire - a 27 per cent increase from the 923 recorded in 2020-21. In South Yorkshire, 727 pets were abandoned, up 18 per cent from 615 in 2020-21.

In North Yorkshire, 439 pets were abandoned, up 39 per cent from 316 in 2020-21. And in East Yorkshire, 322 pets were abandoned last winter, up 46 per cent from 221 in 2020-21. A leading animal welfare organisation has branded the surge in pet abandonment reports across England and Wales as "shocking" and warns of a "bleak winter for thousands of animals".



Data from the RSPCA indicates there were 4,630 calls about abandoned animals last winter in the two nations, a significant jump from the 3,071 incidents reported in 2020-21. This marks a whopping 51 per cent rise in animal abandonment during the winter months during the past three years. Chief Inspector Ian Briggs of the RSPCA expressed his alarm at the escalation in emergency line calls this winter, labelling it "shocking".

He said: "Sadly we expect the trend will continue as more pet owners face financial hardship at this time of year more than any other." "Our rescuers are often confronted with dogs in dismal condition, collapsed and hidden away to endure a slow death; frail kittens left in cardboard boxes, fortunate if found alive; and domestic rabbits released into the wild, with minimal chances against natural predators." Briggs highlighted that financial strains prompted by the cost-of-living crisis are compelling some individuals to vacate their homes, leading to an uptick in pets being abandoned and confined within deserted properties.

He added: "Heartbreakingly they are unable to survive for long 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." In 2023, reports of abandoned pets surged to 20,999 calls received by the charity's crisis line, marking a steep 30 per cent rise since the pre-cost-of-living-crisis year of 2020. If you wish to contribute to the RSPCA's Join the Christmas Rescue appeal, visit www.

rspca.org.uk/jointherescue for more details.

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