Pets dumped by hard-up families

Pets are being dumped by hard-up families in the West Midlands because they cannot afford to look after them, the RSPCA said today.

Rising energy costs, food prices and the effects of the global credit crunch are forcing many to make a choice between keeping their pet and paying their bills. Rescue centres and vets in the region say they have been inundated with abandoned dogs, cats and rabbits and also calls from owners asking for their pets to be taken off their hands.

Older animals and those with illnesses are most likely to be dumped as vets' bills increase.

Animal welfare nurse Joyce Clarke, from Wednesbury Animal Sanctuary, said the crisis was getting worse and people were coming up with more and more "silly excuses" for dumping animals.

"It is terrible and the excuses are getting worse, with stupid reasons like the cat doesn't match the carpet," she said.

"We get an increase before holidays or people go away and just leave the animals behind. But a lot of people are getting their houses repossessed and that's one reason we get sometimes.

"People can go out and drink, smoke and waste money on designer clothes but don't want to spend it on doing anything for their animal."

Staff at Sunnyside Kennels in Coven, near Wolverhampton, were expecting to be near their full capacity today as they take more than 50 calls a week from owners wanting to off-load their dogs.

Manager Karen Doy said: "We mainly deal with abandoned pets but recently we have received a lot more calls from people asking us to take their dogs and re-home them.

"We are more geared up for strays so if we can't help then we give them the number of another kennel."

Regional RSPCA spokeswoman Judith Haw said the number of abandoned animals in Staffordshire and the Midlands was increasing, possibly due to the rising cost of living.

She said the region saw a 73 per cent increase in the number of abandoned animals rescued by the RSPCA last year.

German pointer Rosie was abandoned and taken in by SAD Rescue in Oldbury. While a permanent home is sought she is with the Wallis family from Wall Heath.