Britain is facing its biggest animal welfare crisis since the Second World War due to the cost of living crisis, according to campaigners. Millions of cats and dogs now face the risk of being abandoned or put down as a result.
More than half of UK adults own a pet, 3.2 million of which arrived in homes during the coronavirus lockdown, reports the Mirror. It’s estimated there are currently 13 million pet dogs, 12 million cats, 1.6 million indoor birds, and one million rabbits.
A campaign has now been launched urging government to work with charities and the veterinary industry to bring
in targeted animal welfare support across the country in order to prevent unnecessary suffering.
Around 20% of pet owners are worried about the cost of feeding their pet according to the RSPCA’s recent Animal Kindness Index Survey. The People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA), meanwhile, believes owning a pet can often cost more than £100 per month.
Along with rising costs elsewhere, this could push many to the brink of financial disaster in the next year. The RSPCA reported 22,908 abandonments in the first seven months of this year alone - compared with 18,375 in the same period in 2021.
Cats Protection report that the number of cats waiting to enter its adoption centres rose by 46% in July 2022 on the previous year's figure. Campaigners say without urgent action to offer owners financial support, many more pets will be at risk in 2023.
Animal welfare campaigner Dominic Dyer, leading the calls to establish a Cost of Living Animal Welfare Crisis Fund, said: "Millions of dogs and cats risk being abandoned, suffering due to delays in receiving veterinary care or being put down on economic, not welfare grounds.
“Losing a pet due to the cost-of-living crisis will not only have a significant and negative impact on the emotional and mental health of millions, but it negatively impacts those working in charity and veterinary sectors. This could also result in more dogs and cats being euthanised in 2023 than were lost in the pet cull at the beginning of the Second World War.”
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