An increase in abandonments

As the cost of living crisis has continued, more people are having to make the heart breaking decision to give up their pets, and less people are in a position to adopt an animal. Many rehoming centres are at full capacity with lengthy waiting lists, and this has lead to an increase in the number of animals being abandoned.

In October, sweet German Shepherd, Abbey (pictured below), was left tied to a lamppost outside our centre one evening. Some passers-by saw Abbey being left and took her away, then returned her to us the next morning. She was, understandably, very confused about why she was suddenly in an unfamiliar situation, but she soon settled in and got used to her new routine.

On a bitterly cold November night, Wenda (pictured above) was left outside our centre in a cat carrier at 11.45pm. A passer-by spotted her and took her home for the night and brought her back to us the next day. Thankfully, Wenda was unharmed, but we discovered that she was pregnant. We weren't sure if the stress of the situation had affected her babies, so we kept a very close eye on her. Four weeks later, Wenda gave birth to two healthy kittens and is a fantastic mum! 

Abbey Street is a busy road, and both situations could have been very dangerous had either of them gotten loose.

If you need to rehome your pet, please contact a rehoming organisation for advice and support. Do not leave animals outside rehoming centres. If you are in a position to welcome a new animal into your family, please consider adopting rather than buying. By adopting, you are helping the animal you bring home AND the animal who takes their place at the shelter.