RSPCA reveal shocking increase in animal abandonments in South Yorkshire

The Star, Sheffield

In South Yorkshire, the latest figures show the number of abandonment reports to the RSPCA for 2023 was 727, up from 615 in 2021 when the cost of living crisis began - an 18% increase.

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00:00They'd been left to rot. They were on a dirty, filthy mattress. There was no food,

00:06there was no water. It broke my heart really. It was one of the saddest sights

00:09I've seen in 15 years. Poppy was in a more serious state than Jack, but that

00:17doesn't take away from the situation that Jack was in. Absolutely awful. But

00:20Poppy, she was weak. She could hardly open her eyes. I was concerned that they

00:25might not even make it. Although they were suffering horrendously, they wanted

00:29to be next to each other. I remember taking a picture for case purposes and

00:32they leaned into each other and they were clearly supporting each other

00:35through, you know, the worst moments in their life. I was sort of stroking them

00:39throughout the process of being examined and you could just

00:42notice that they started to separate off from each other's support a little bit

00:46and they just slowly started to gently wag their tails. And people ask me

00:49all the time, do you think they know that they're being rescued? And I think

00:53that was the moment for me that they knew that they were with people that

00:57were going to care for them and love them and that they were going to be okay.

01:02Within minutes of them seeing each other, they were off playing typical

01:06bull breed, rough and tumble. Poppy's owner said that, you know, sometimes you

01:09can be a little bit anxious, but it was clear they recognised each other. It's

01:12literally made my year seeing that today. I deal with the real hard hitting

01:17beginning of these cases, but to be able to come and see them today with their

01:21new owners and how they've managed to restart their lives and how happy they

01:27they are, it's just a career highlight. But you know, it's such a massive team

01:32effort that's been required to get to this point. An RSPCA officer goes and

01:37rescues them. They then get transported as an emergency to see lots of different

01:43veterinary staff, then there's animal centres staff. None of that is possible

01:47without the fantastic support that we get from members of the public who are

01:52allowing us to go out and do this work every day. Thank you, because I've done

01:56this job for 15 years and, you know, rescued hundreds of animals from

02:00horrendous cruelty and neglect, and none of it would be possible without the

02:04support of members of the public. No animals should be left to suffer this

02:09Christmas. Donate today.

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