Shropshire Star

Shropshire shamed by pet-dumping figures

More than 400 animals have been abandoned in Shropshire so far this year, according to new figures released by the RSPCA.

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The charity said there has been a marked increase in the number of animals being abandoned across England and Wales. And they expect the problem to get worse over the winter.

In Shropshire, 404 animals were dumped between January 1 and October 1, putting the county 29th in a national a league table.

Nationally the RSPCA was called out to deal with 29,770 reports of abandoned animals .

There were 1,428 cases in the West Midlands, putting it fourth worst nationally. In Wales the figure was approaching 2,500.

Kelly Rivers, RSPCA Midlands superintendent, said: "Even in a nation of animal lovers, there are thousands of people out there who don't care about their pets at all. In fact, some literally treat them like rubbish.

"Worse still, holidays like Christmas can lead to an increase in abandonments as some people choose to get rid of their pets rather than pay for them to be looked after while they are on holiday.

"Money may be spent on holidays and Christmas presents rather than seeking vet attention for ill or newborn animals, so they are dumped.

"It's bad enough when we find a box of kittens wrapped in blankets on our doorstep with a note, but now people are deliberately dumping their animals in out-of-the-way places, like bins, skips or on waste ground, leaving them to an unknown fate."

The most heartbreaking cases of animals that have been abandoned since last winter include a puppy who was dumped outside the gates of the RSPCA Birmingham Animal Hospital and who chased after her owner's car as it sped away, and a tiny newborn puppy dumped in a Birmingham park.

The charity is expecting around 140,000 calls in November and December alone, with around 50,000 animals needing help between now and Christmas.

Charity bosses have launched a winter campaign that will look at all aspects of the challenging winter work they face, from the rise in abandonments to weather-related rescues and the increase in violence towards animals in the countdown to the Christmas period.

In Wales, RSPCA staff and volunteers describe the increase in the number of animals being abandoned as "alarming".

The charity has been called out to deal with 2,427 reports of abandoned animals this year.

One case of animals being "thrown away" was when two puppies were dumped in a box in Flintshire at only three-weeks old. It's believed the white and black Staffie cross pups died after being dumped in a box on an embankment near a McDonald's restaurant .

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