THE UK'S ABANDONED PETS CRISIS

As the cost of living continues to rise, animals are also suffering

It's been described by the RSPCA as the perfect storm' as more and more pets get dumped and abandoned by people struggling to put food on the table and keep roofs over their heads.

As the ongoing cost of living crisis continues to grip the UK - with fixed-rate mortgage deals for another 1.5m homeowners set to expire during 2024*- incidents of animal abandonment are currently at a three-year high, according to the RSPCA, and the charity says they have serious concerns about the welfare of these animals as the numbers continue to grow.

A 32.9% rise in abandonment cases it's now anticipating is being compounded by the increase in pet ownership during the COVID-19 pandemic, with so many of us now having to return to the office.

With the everyday stresses and strains of life taking their toll on pet owners, our furry friends can slip to the bottom of the pile when it comes to priorities.

Woman's Own investigates the devastating impact that abandonment has on pets...

In October 2023 alone, 1,800 incidents of abandonment were reported to the RSP higher than the num in that month in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

Animals have feelings just like we do'

Zoe Willingham, 45, is an animal behaviourist who cares for 30 dogs and 62 cats at her home in Stowmarket, Suffolk.