The country’s biggest pet charity has raised the alarm about the number of animals being abandoned after a dramatic increase in cats and dogs being brought to its rehoming centres.
So far this year 79 per cent more dogs and 25 per cent more cats have been admitted to Blue Cross centres than last year. This follows a 32 per cent increase in all abandonments the previous year.
In total, more than 1,050 animals, including ten horses, have been abandoned into care since the start of 2023.
Among them was a nine-month-old kitten found in a basket outside one of the charity’s animal hospitals in the early hours by a milkman. A note attached read: “I cannot afford to feed and look after my beautiful cat. Please look after my cat in a way that I cannot. May God forgive me.”
A cat and her kittens were also abandoned outside a rehoming centre with a note that said: “Please help. As you can see from the cats’ weight, I can no longer afford to feed them. We tried to make things work but it’s come to a point where I have to accept I’m causing more harm to them than good. I’m so very sorry.”
With energy bills rising again this autumn, the charity, which runs four animal hospitals and 11 rehoming centres, fears an even greater surge in the number of people giving up their pets.
It said that the reduction in the number of pensioners receiving the winter fuel allowance combined with the 9 per cent increase in the cost of gas and electricity in October would force many older people into “heartbreaking choices” about feeding themselves and their families, or giving up their pets.
The cost of pet food and more expensive energy bills have been blamed for the increase
Blue Cross is urging owners to use its pet food banks if they’re struggling financially and to ask it for help rather than abandoning their pets.
The charity helps 85,000 pet owners through its pet food banks in Sheffield, Exeter, Newport, Bicester and Manchester, and works with more than 500 other food banks to provide food to owners in need.
Chris Burghes, chief executive of Blue Cross, said: “It’s extremely worrying to see more pets being abandoned but we fear we may see more this winter if bills jump again as people are really struggling. Our pet food banks provide a vital lifeline for owners who need help and we’d urge anyone struggling to seek help from us rather than abandon their pet.
“Pets are part of the family, and for so many they are their only family or companion, their only reason to get up every morning. We know the sacrifices many owners will make to keep them, including ensuring their pets are fed instead of themselves.
“We want to help keep pets and people together as much we can rather than people being forced to make the difficult decision to give up their pet.”
The charity said that donations of pet food were being accepted at Blue Cross rehoming centres and animal hospitals, as well as in all Pets at Home shops.
‘I don’t know what I would do without the pet food bank’
Gwen from Bicester gets help from the Blue Cross
Gwen, from Bicester, is recovering from a stroke and gets help from her local Blue Cross pet food bank for her two kittens.
The 84-year-old, who only retired from her full-time job as a cleaner at the nearby school four years ago, says she loves her cats and could not do without them.
“They’re such good company,” she said, explaining that one kitten sits on her lap and the other sits by her side while she does her wordsearch puzzle.
“They mean a lot, they really do. I can’t go to sleep if they’re not in at night. It would upset me tremendously if anything happened to them.”
But she explained that the rising cost of living was making looking after the kittens ever harder.
“With all the costs going up the pet food bank is a brilliant help. I don’t know what I’d do without the help.”
