PET owners who have abandoned and dumped animals in the region in the run-up to Christmas have been branded callous and irresponsible by the RSPCA.
RSPCA centres throughout the North-East are already struggling to cope with a steady stream of unwanted animals being brought in by their owners in the weeks before Christmas.
But the society is alarmed at the number of pets that are still being cruelly abandoned.
The RSPCA's head of press, Ann Grain, said: "People just seem willing to dump their pets when they become inconvenient or too much trouble.
"It is the poor animals that end up paying the price because their owners just haven't thought about the responsibility of owning a pet.
"It seems as though we are living in a throwaway society and animals are looked upon as being disposable."
Anyone with any information on abandonment cases, or wishing to re-home an animal should telephone 08705 555999.
The RSPCA would like to emphasise that anyone who feels they can no longer cope with an animal is urged not to abandon it, but to contact the society or another reputable animal welfare organisation.
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