THE RSPCA is worried a surge in pet ownership due to Covid could result in more unwanted pets this year after hundreds across the North-East were abandoned last winter.
Last winter, the charity received 4,650 reports of abandoned animals including 128 in County Durham, 108 in Tyne and Wear and 26 in Northumberland.
More than 50 animals a day reported abandoned last Christmas and is braced for more this winter after pet ownership surged this year due to the pandemic.
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Google keyword searches for ‘Puppies near me’ increased 650 per cent between January and July 2020.
‘Adopting a dog’ saw a 204 per cent increase in searches, ‘kittens near me’ a 188 per cent increase from the previous year.
The RSPCA also saw a 68 per cent rise in unique views to its Find a Pet section of the website between March 23 and October 27 with 30,466,023 views.
The charity says reports of increased pet ownership, coupled with a deepening recession could see more pets left out in the cold this year.
Dermot Murphy, head of the RSPCA’s animal rescue teams, said: “During the lockdown there have been reports of a rise in people buying or adopting new pets, often for the very first time.
"Whilst it’s great that so many people have become pet owners and have found their pet to be a real source of comfort during these challenging times, we are concerned that some people may have bought a pet on impulse without considering how their lifestyle might change once the pandemic ends.
"On top of that, we are facing real economic uncertainties, and, as in previous recessions, people may simply find themselves unable to afford their pet.
“The last thing we want to see is animals dumped and left out in the cold so we’d urge anyone who is struggling to care for their pets to please reach out to friends, family and charities for support instead.”
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A poll by the RSPCA, conducted by YouGov, revealed that just over one in ten (11 per cent) pet owners had taken on a pet during lockdown and, of those, nearly one in ten (9 per cent) said that their pet had been more expensive than they had expected.
Just over one in 20 (6 per cent) were worried about being able to afford them in the future.
A third of adults who own a pet (33 per cent) said they were worried that pets bought during lockdown will be abandoned if people returned to work and 31 per cent said they were concerned that pets will be dumped this Christmas if people were struggling.
Mr Murphy added: “We would always urge anyone considering getting a pet to thoroughly do their research to make sure they can give them the time, money and care they need for the rest of their lives.
"As the impact of the pandemic puts a strain on people’s finances and as many people start to return to work or some kind of normality, the fear is that we will see a surge in abandoned and neglected animals coming into our care.”
The most common concern reported to the RSPCA’s cruelty line last winter was neglect, with more than 76 reports a day relating to pain and disease (6,916) and 57 reports a day for unsuitable environments (5,134).
Since the start of lockdown, from March 23 until November 29, the RSPCA’s cruelty line has received 11,052 reports about abandoned animals.
The charity’s officers are out on the frontline 365 days a year to help those animals in need and this Christmas will be no exception. The RSPCA expects to rescue thousands of animals from neglect, cruelty and suffering this winter.
Visit www.rspca.org.uk/xmas to find out more.
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