A LANDLADY is pleading with the public to stop dumping animals and instead seek help for them after finding an abandoned cockerel wandering her car park.

“Someone drove into the car park and unceremoniously dumped him without even asking for help”, said Kate Umpleby after being left with yet another unwanted animal.

Ms Umpleby, landlady at The Foresters Arms in Coatham Mundeville, near Darlington, has been taking in rescue animals for years and is rapidly losing patience with irresponsible pet owners.

This week, she was forced to add yet another creature to her ever-expanding menagerie after being left with the unloved bird.

She said: “I’ve got a collection of rescue animals and was putting the chickens and ducks away when I spotted a cockerel I’d never seen before and, after a Benny Hill-like chase, managed to catch him.

“Me being me, I took him in, but I can’t look after him as I have other cockerels and they’ll fight to the death.

“I kept him in a large cage that wasn’t particularly suitable, but I can’t afford to be building runs for someone else’s unwanted chicken – I’m absolutely livid.

“I must have a neon sign above my head saying ‘mug’ – I’ve only just had to rehome seven puppies and I work hard at the pub and then looking after these animals, it’s just not on.

“I know it’s the season of goodwill but you’d think people would be nicking turkeys, not dumping chickens.”

She added: “The whole incident was caught on CCTV and I’d really like the person responsible to come forward to apologise for not asking for help.

“Those who are struggling to look after animals should seek help – people have got to learn that they cannot just dump animals when they’re tired of them.

“There’s going to be an influx of this sort of thing over Christmas and I want to tell people to seek help if they need it, because it’s out there.”

The abandoned cockerel has now been taken in by the Kay’s Hill Animal Sanctuary, Bishop Auckland.

Ms Umpleby said: “Yet again an underfunded animal sanctuary has had to pick up the pieces after someone dumps an unwanted animal.

“It’s heartbreaking that people don’t take their responsibilities seriously – a life is not to be treated this way.”