Dog and cat abandonment soars in UK as owners struggle with cost of living | Pets
There is an “epidemic” of dogs, cats and other pets being abandoned as owners struggle to cope with the cost of living crisis, the UK’s largest animal welfare charity has said.
RSPCA It said abandonment rates in England and Wales had risen by almost 25% in 2025 compared to last year, reaching the highest rate in at least five years.
Animal charities in Scotland and Northern Ireland have also seen an increase in animal abandonments, and organizations in the UK are concerned there could be a further increase this winter.
RSPCA chief Simon Osborne said: “We’ve seen a dramatic and heartbreaking increase in abandonment this year. As winter approaches, temperatures drop and there are dark nights, we fear things will get even tougher. There is an epidemic of animal abandonment and neglect.”
24,270 incidents of an animal being abandoned or abandoned were reported to the charity’s emergency line by the end of October, up from 19,727 in the first 10 months of 2024.
The samples included seven male terrier-cross puppies approximately 10 weeks old. left outside the gates The Doncaster and Rotherham area branch of the RSPCA was hit by Storm Claudia at the weekend. The puppies were terrified and stuck in a metal cage without food or water.
Branch manager Daniel Cartwright said: “It’s heartbreaking to think someone would throw them away like this. We would urge anyone struggling to care for their pet to seek help and support when their pet needs first aid, rather than abandoning an animal in a time of need.”
The RSPCA believes the cost of living crisis in the UK is causing people to struggle to pay for pet food and vet bills. According to the charity, seven in 10 pet owners are worried about the cost of caring for their animals and a fifth are worried about how they will be able to feed them.
A network of pet food banks has been set up in England and Wales to help people feed their pets, and the RSPCA has launched a campaign. money saving center The website includes tips on how people can pay for pets.
Another possible reason for the increase in abandonments is the sharp increase in pet ownership during the pandemic. As people return to brick-and-mortar workplaces, pet care has become harder to find.
A critically ill terrier last month I put it in the gym bag at the RSPCA’s Finsbury Park animal hospital in north London. Hospital director Áine Maguire said: “We can see from our cameras that the person arrived on foot at 4.06am and left her outside the main front door.”
In September, a dog was abandoned at the RSPCA shelter in Sheffield with a note saying only his name: Lucky.
Six puppies, believed to be French bulldog-chihuahua crosses, were found abandoned in a black bin bag in Hull in July. The driver noticed that the bag was moving and found the puppies inside. They were dehydrated and starting to overheat.
Other animals abandoned this year include four kittens found in a shopping bag in a bin in Penwortham, Lancashire; A hamster found in a cage near some litter bins in Slough, Berkshire; and in March two turtles were found dead in woodland in Harlow, Essex.
Charities in other parts of the UK are also reporting an increase in abandonment. Scottish SPCA He said the number of calls from people saying they had to give up their pets had increased by 20% in the first half of this year compared to the same period last year. in Northern Ireland, USPCA He said that the number of kittens he takes care of increases every year.
RSPCAHe launched an appeal spanning England and Wales to raise money for frontline officers.
