A "cuddly" and "friendly" dog, once thought to be someone's pet, was dumped outside an RSPCA centre. Cassie, a boxer cross, was tied to a gate outside the centre in Warrington in Cheshire on January 16.
As reported by Cheshire Live, CCTV showed a man tying her to the gates of the centre before he walked off and left her behind. Cassie is believed to be around eight years old and RSCPA officers said it's clear she had once been loved and wanted.
Katie Buckley, animal care manager at the centre run by the charity's Warrington, Halton and St Helens branch, said: “Cassie is a lovely, friendly natured dog, who would have been left anxious and confused by what was happening to her. It’s clear she’s been well looked after in the past which makes it even harder to understand why she was given up like this.
“She adores human affection, and while she can be a little bit nervous of new people to start with, if you give her treats and cuddles, she’ll be your best friend! We’re thankful she was unharmed - and didn’t get on to any nearby roads for example - but leaving animals like this compromises their safety and puts them in danger.”
The RSCPA is now seeking a new home for Cassie. The charity says she already knows some basic commands and gets on well with other dogs, meaning she could be rehomed with a companion dog of a similar age.
Subscribe here for the latest news where you live
She also will need a garden to potter around in with a family who are around for a good part of the day and possibly work from home. As she’s an older dog, a quieter environment would suit her, so any children in the household will ideally need to be older than eight.
The RSPCA recently revealed that its officers dealt with 1,532 incidents of animals being abandoned in the first month of this year. This is compared to 1,390 for the same period in 2022 - a rise of ten per cent.
It’s believed the cost of living crisis, coupled with the expected financial pressures on pet owners during the festive season, may have led to the upsurge. RSPCA inspector Caren Goodman James said: “It’s extremely sad to see pets like Cassie being left in circumstances like this and we’d urge anyone who is struggling to look after their animals - at what is a very difficult economic time for many people - to seek advice and support.
“With the increase in pet ownership and the cost of living crisis putting a strain on people’s finances, we’re seeing more animals coming into our care at a time when rehoming has slowed. A misunderstanding about the true cost of pet ownership is one of the main reasons why we believe that animals end up being abandoned and we’d urge people to do their research and to consider rescuing instead of buying.”
The charity is urging pet owners to seek help before letting problems escalate and it has opened a telephone helpline - 0300 123 0650 - to support people or visit its cost of living hub. Anyone with information about Cassie can contact the RSPCA’s inspectorate appeal line on 0300 123 8018 or to offer her a new home click here.
