Last week, it was reported that five 16-week-old, malnourished puppies were found abandoned in freezing temperatures on the streets of Salford.
The five dachshund puppies were found on Oak Road in Salford after a report came in from a community member who had found a cage covered in a white sheet.
Lucy Bailey, a press officer from the RSPCA, describes: “These puppies that were found in Salford had worms, they were underweight, and they had skin conditions. So clearly, they hadn’t received the treatment that they should have before being abandoned.
“We’re looking at nearly 18,000 instances of abandonment so far this year.” In Greater Manchester alone. Lucy continues: “Going on the current trajectory, we are looking at about 21,000 incidents by the end of 2023.
Greater Manchester has always been a “busy” area for the RSPCA, who concluded that this is due to the big cities and towns in the area.
Infographic Graph by Sophie Awajan
The people responsible for abandoning the five puppies have not yet been found.
The RSPCA is trying to understand the reason abandonment figures are increasing so that they can offer the right support and prevention tactics to help owners and animals,
Lucy commented: “We know that the rising cost of living greatly impacts people. Unfortunately, animals are bearing the brunt of that.
“Pets are expensive, and people’s economic situations are changing. They may find themselves in a position where they can’t afford to look after their animals anymore.”
As the cost-of-living crisis begins to take a toll this winter and expenses increase, the RSPCA offer support to those who may find themselves struggling,
“We’ve got a dedicated cost of living telephone helpline that we’ve set up especially to try and help people through these really tough times,” Lucy added.
Kirsty Alice, a local dog groomer from Salford, added: “Hearing about those five Daschund puppies left abandoned in Salford with ill health has disgusted me,” Kirsty continued,
Kirsty runs a dog groomer ‘Poochie Mama’s’ located in Salford, Weaste. The dog groomer has been running for three months.
Kirsty went on to explain: “I have witnessed dogs come into the salon with poor coat conditions that have not been consistently maintained,”
Kirsty describes seeing owners struggle to maintain their animals due to severely rising costs: “We advise customers to rebook within eight weeks to maintain their dog’s coat, but I find a lot do not return on this time scale and are leaving their dogs much longer.”
As a dog Mum to her own “Fur baby”, Kirsty added: “Tins of dog food have almost tripled, vet fees have increased, and I know many fellow dog groomers have resorted to increasing the prices of their services to stay afloat.”
Despite the struggles with costs, Kirsty said: “Salford is a loving community, and if this person had sought help, they would have been cared for properly.”
“I know times are hard, but there is no excuse for anybody to treat any animal inhumanely.”
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