When you buy a bag of crisps, it’s usually for one sole purpose. To eat it. After this, you likely crumple the bag and discard it in the bin. That is solely a crisp packet’s function. Unfortunately, some people sometimes view their pets as a crisp packet. Whilst this may seem utterly ridiculous, it is an unfortunate truth that pet abandonment is on the rise. In 2022, RSPCA released statistics which stated that pet dumping had faced a 24% increase. 

 

Obviously, this is absolutely heartbreaking. Many view their pets as a gift, but woefully, some take this symbolism too far, viewing a dog when it gets to an old age as “boring”, or “run down.” Why keep your half working toy from nearly a decade ago, when you can get the brand new one?

 

Not only does animal dumping induce trauma upon the pet, but it can also raise risk to other members of the community. If someone gets rid of an animal near a road, it can cause it being a road safety risk, as the animal helplessly searches for its owners. Adding onto this, a dog or cat may accidentally harm someone, by biting them or scratching them, out of fear in their situation. 

 

One of the excuses of many who abandon their animals is that they would get picked up at an animal shelter. However, an estimated 250,000 animals go to UK shelters each year, leading to overcrowding on a huge scale. Furthermore, only very little of these pets later get rehomed, especially older ones, leading to elderly animals spending their last years away from the love of owners.

 

On the other hand, there are always 2 sides to a situation. Some people who do give their pets away truly are not at fault. Due to the cost of living crisis, many people have been forced to give up their beloved pets as they  are unable to afford their food, or give them the attention they deserve. Also, many people may be unable to go out with their dog as frequently as they should, and truly believe that they are not treating their pet properly. This is completely understandable, and there are always charities such as Dog Trust who are willing to help. However, what is not okay, is simply dumping an animal on the street and expecting it to look after itself.