The RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) is sending out a plea to ask animal lovers help stop the cruel abandonment of pets this summer.
As a bona fide dog lover, your immediate reaction will probably be something along the lines of “I would never, ever… EVER!”. Like us, then, you’ll be shocked, disgusted and upset to learn that last summer the RSPCA rescued more than 2,800 animals, and during the summer months, one pet is abandoned every hour.
Why are so many dogs abandoned in the summer?
There seem to be several reasons why more dogs are abandoned during the summer, each reason just as inexcusable as the one before it. Some owners seem to have underestimated the various costs associated with owning a dog, like food, vet bills and sitter costs. Other owners seem to have ‘gotten over’ the novelty of having a Christmas puppy.
One very tragic explanation that really shocked us was that some dog owners seem unwilling to find adequate care for their dogs while they go on holiday, which might help to explain the peak in these horrible cases during summer months, especially July, August and September.
But to stop these from becoming just a list of numbers here’s a real life story of a loveable dog whose owners decided they couldn’t look after him anymore.
Meet Maverick the Staffie
We can’t quite wrap our heads around the circumstances of Maverick’s abandonment. His owners discovered they couldn’t take him on a coach journey while attempting to board at Victoria station in London. Rather than find suitable emergency care, reschedule their trip, or find alternative travel arrangements, they simply discarded Maverick. Mav, who is only a small puppy, was discovered tied up to a lamppost down the road from the station.
Thankfully, he was only there for about half an hour and was quickly taken to an RSPCA centre in Putney to get checked over and treated. The team happily report that Maverick is doing really well and that he’s almost ready for rehoming, which means a very lucky someone gets to be his new mum or dad soon!
All the best, Maverick. We certainly haven’t lost that lovin’ feeling.
There are stories more horrible than Maverick’s. Some dogs are literally treated like rubbish, like Bertie the Yorkshire Terrier who was dumped in a wheelie bin, Peanut the Lurcher who was left to starve under a bush with broken limbs, and Rose who was rescued from drowning in a pond.
Not pleasant to read is it? But please don’t turn away now; dogs like Rose, Bertie, Peanut and Maverick need your help.
What you can do to help
The DogBuddy pack is joining the RSPCA to help promote this advice:
- If you’re a dog owner, please make sure you plan care for your dog when planning a holiday for yourselves. Of course, we’re strong believers that the best option is to find a local, reliable dog sitter on DogBuddy.com – why not take a look at the sitters near you?
- Support the work of the RSPCA: Even though there are plenty of loving and considerate dog owners in the UK, sadly there are still many who seemingly give no second thought to abandoning their pups. The RSPCA does a brilliant all-year-round job of rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming mistreated dogs. However, they need more help, especially keeping up with demands during the summer. If you’d like to help financially, head over to the RSPCA’s website to find out how just a small one-off donation could make a big difference in saving a dog’s life.
- If you discover an abandoned dog, please call 0300 1234 999 immediately
Why not share this article with your friends and family on Facebook or Twitter to make sure as many people as possible are aware of this issue, and know how they can support the RSPCA and help stop UK dogs from being needlessly abandoned.