25 per cent increase in pets being abandoned in UK

The number of abandoned pets in the UK increased by 25 per cent to 22 908 between January and July this year, compared with the same period in 2021. This is what the RSPCA charity said in an interview with the BBC. A pet welfare expert from the organisation said that Covid-19 and cost of living fears meant fewer people were considering taking on a pet, with the number of rehomed pets going down 10 per cent each year.

In June, the RSPCA released the Animal Kindness Index, which found 68 per cent of pet owners surveyed said the cost of looking after their pet had risen since the previous year. It said that 19 per cent were worried about being able to feed their pets.