There have already been more than 500 reported incidents of animal abandonment in Durham this year, ahead of a potentially “grim” Winter for pets.
Up to the end of October, 539 incidents about an animal being abandoned or dumped in Durham had been raised with the charity’s emergency line.
This is similar to the 543 incidents reported during the same time frame last year.
And with charity rescuers braced for a further surge in reports over the Winter months, the RSPCA has launched an urgent appeal – The Big Give Back to Animals – in the hope of raising vital funds for its frontline officers.
The charity fears for animals across Durham over the Winter season with “plummeting temperatures and dark nights” placing animals at even greater risk from abandonment.
Across England and Wales, 24,270 abandonment incidents have been reported so far this year – a rise of almost 23 percent compared with the same time period last year (19,727).
That means – in the first ten months of this year – an abandonment incident was reported to the RSPCA’s emergency line every nine minutes it was open.
Last Winter (Nov-Jan), 5,902 incidents of animal abandonment were raised with the charity – and there are fears the upward trend of cases is set to continue in the coming months. There were 146 abandonment incidents last Winter in Durham alone.
Reports of animal abandonment will this year reach their highest point in at least six years – and issues like the ongoing cost of living crisis mean animals need the RSPCA’s support to “survive, heal and thrive” now more than ever.
RSPCA superintendent Simon Osborne said:
“It’s been an incredibly challenging year for many pets, and we have seen a dramatic and heartbreaking rise in abandonments this year.
“And with Winter upon us, with plummeting temperatures and dark nights, we fear things could get even harder in the months to come.
“Sadly, animal abandonment has become so problematic and so tragically widespread, that we’ve seen more incidents every month this year when compared to 2024; and reports have been rising year after year.
“There’s an epidemic of animal abandonment and neglect, meaning our officers are needed now more than ever to respond to those animals in the most urgent need of help.”
Older lurcher found alone and wandering in Durham
In June this year, a mature lurcher was found wandering alone through a former mining village in County Durham.
She was rescued after a motorist spotted her by herself, roaming through Cornforth.
Unfortunately, dog Edna was found underweight, with matted fur, sore eyes and long claws. Her carers fear she may have been abandoned because she had no collar or microchip and was too frail to be able to run away from an owner.
But careful medical treatment, a healthy diet and lots of love, games and exercise have left Edna looking like a brand new dog after being nursed back to health by the RSPCA.
Claire Hunt, Animal Centre Manager at Felledge, said:
“When she came in to us, she was painfully thin and her teeth were in a very poor condition. She had some matting and there was discharge from her eyes. We don’t believe she would have been mobile enough to run away from an owner so we’re worried that she may have been abandoned.”
Grim picture – and a tricky Winter ahead
And countless more animals need help.
Overall in 2024, there were 23,564 abandonment incidents reported to the RSPCA – higher than in 2023, 2022, 2021 and 2020.
And that “depressing” trend will continue in 2025 – with calls already higher than the whole of 2024, and spiking amid the challenging backdrop of the cost of living crisis, economic uncertainty and people’s increasingly busy lives.
Urgent funding needed to keep reaching animals
Rising numbers of calls is placing added pressure on RSPCA officers on the frontline.
The Big Give Back to Animals is raising vital funds for the charity, helping them to bring more abandoned and neglected animals to safety, where they can be given urgent care and treatment.
Simon added:
“Times are tough, right now – and animals are paying the price. Reports of abandonment are set to reach their highest mark in at least six years, and the worst could be yet to come as we enter a grim Winter period.
“But animals are sentient; they feel joy, fear, love and pain, just like we do. They give us so much, and ask for so little. Sadly, without help, many animals will die this winter – scared, suffering, and unloved.
“Thankfully, there is hope – and I am so proud of the RSPCA’s efforts to help dumped pets survive, heal and thrive, and go onto a better life. Every year, we find loving new homes for tens of thousands of pets, and rescue countless animals from situations of hopeless cruelty and neglect.
“But none of this work is possible without the kindness and generosity of our supporters. Every pound and penny people give goes towards creating a better world for every kind of animal.”
More information on the RSPCA’s ‘Big Give Back to Animals’ can be found on the charity’s website.
