Reports of animals being abandoned have skyrocketed this year, with incidents raised with the RSPCA rising by more than 23 per cent in the first ten months of the year, ahead of a potentially “grim” Winter for pets.
Up to the end of October, 24,270 incidents about an animal being abandoned or dumped had been raised with the charity’s emergency line – up from 19,727 in the first 10 months of 2024.
It means – in the first ten months of this year – an abandonment incident was reported to the RSPCA every nine minutes its emergency line was open.
And with charity rescuers braced for a further surge in reports over the Winter months, the RSPCA has launched an urgent appeal – The Big Give Back to Animals – in the hope of raising vital funds for its frontline officers.
The charity fears for animals across England and Wales over the Winter season with “plummeting temperatures and dark nights” placing animals at even greater risk from abandonment.
Last Winter (Nov-Jan), 5,902 incidents of animal abandonment were raised with the charity – and there are fears the upward trend of cases is set to continue in the coming months.
The situation has become “so tragically widespread” that reports of animals being dumped have been higher every single month this year when compared to the same month in 2024.
Reports of animal abandonment had already reached their highest point in at least five years – and issues like the ongoing cost of living crisis mean animals need the RSPCA’s support to “survive, heal and thrive” now more than ever.
RSPCA superintendent Simon Osborne said: “It’s been an incredibly challenging year for many pets, and we have seen a dramatic and heartbreaking rise in abandonments this year.
“And with Winter upon us, with plummeting temperatures and dark nights, we fear things could get even harder in the months to come.
“Sadly, animal abandonment has become so problematic and so tragically widespread, that we’ve seen more incidents every month this year when compared to 2024; and reports have been rising year after year.
“There’s an epidemic of animal abandonment and neglect, meaning our officers are needed now more than ever to respond to those animals in the most urgent need of help.”
Overall in 2024, there were 23,564 abandonment incidents reported to the RSPCA – higher than in 2023, 2022, 2021 and 2020.
And that “depressing” trend will continue in 2025 – with calls already higher than the whole of 2024, and spiking amid the challenging backdrop of the cost of living crisis, economic uncertainty and people’s increasingly busy lives.
Rising numbers of calls is placing added pressure on RSPCA officers on the frontline.
The Big Give Back to Animals is raising vital funds for the charity, helping them to bring more abandoned and neglected animals – like Floss – to safety, where they can be given urgent care and treatment.
Simon added: “Times are tough, right now – and animals are paying the price. Reports of abandonment have already reached their highest levels in at least five years, and the worst could be yet to come as we enter a grim Winter period.
“But animals are sentient; they feel joy, fear, love and pain, just like we do. They give us so much, and ask for so little. Sadly, without help, many animals will die this winter – scared, suffering, and unloved.
“Thankfully, there is hope – and I am so proud of the RSPCA’s efforts to help dumped pets survive, heal and thrive, and go onto a better life. Every year, we find loving new homes for tens of thousands of pets, and rescue countless animals from situations of hopeless cruelty and neglect.
“But none of this work is possible without the kindness and generosity of our supporters. Every pound and penny people give goes towards creating a better world for every kind of animal.”
More information on the RSPCA’s ‘Big Give Back to Animals’ can be found on the charity’s website.
