Nearly 500 reports of abandoned animals in Leicestershire - with a worrying increase already being reported in 2022

Animal welfare charity RSPCA says it received reports of 499 abandoned animals in Leicestershire in 2021.

But shockingly 401 reports of abandoned animals have already been made in the county already this year.

The charity says the number is on the rise, with a 17 per cent from 2020 to 2021 and a 24 per cent increase in 2022.

It fears a huge rise in pet ownership during the pandemic coupled with the cost of living crisis putting a strain on people’s finances means even more animals are being given up this year.

The RSPCA has released the figures as part of its Cancel Out Cruelty campaign which aims to raise funds to keep its rescue teams on the frontline saving animals.

Dermot Murphy, chief inspectorate officer, said: “The idea of putting your cat in a cat carrier and taking them to a secluded spot in the woods before walking away, or chucking your dog out of the car and driving off leaving them desperately running behind the vehicle, is absolutely unthinkable and heartbreaking to most pet owners - but sadly we are seeing animals callously abandoned like this every single day.

“We understand that sometimes the unexpected can happen - the pandemic and cost of living crisis proved that - but there is never an excuse to abandon an animal. There are always other options for anyone who has fallen on hard times and can no longer afford to keep their pet.”

A total of 38,087 abandonment reports were made to the charity’s cruelty line last year - an average of some 3,000 reports a month.

Dogs were the most abandoned pet with 14,462 reports of dumped dogs made to the RSPCA last year. Cats were the second most abandoned pet with 10,051 reports of cats being callously dumped in 2021. There were also 3,363 abandoned exotic pets reported including 1,455 fish and 685 snakes.

In Leicestershire, a cat was abandoned in a repossessed flat before being rescued by the RSPCA.

The flat in Leicester had been repossessed and then bought at auction but when the buyer visited the property a couple of days later, he found a cat living inside. It was clear that the poor black and white female cat had been left behind by the previous owners as there was a litter tray brimming with faeces and empty food and water bowls.

The RSPCA was contacted and Inspector Herchy Boal attended the property in Medina Road in March. She gave the cat some food and water and then sealed the door to see if someone still owned, or was checking on the cat, but the seals weren’t broken and Herchy soon realised the cat, now called Bo, had been abandoned.

She said: “Thankfully, we were able to rescue her and she’s doing really well but this could have had a much sadder ending had she been left any longer.”

Visit www.rspca.org.uk/stopcruelty to find out more about the charity’s campaign.