'Sharp rise' in abandoned animals

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The number of animals abandoned in England and Wales in 2008 rose by 57% compared with the previous year, according to the RSPCA.

The charity fears that pets are becoming the latest victims of the credit crunch as owners struggle to pay for food, vets' bills and insurance.

The RSPCA's Tim Wass said: "It is an offence to abandon any animal and there is never any excuse for doing so."

The increase in workload comes as the charity warns of possible job cuts.

The RSPCA says an average of more than 30 animals were dumped every day last year across England and Wales.

If there are members of the public struggling to look after their animals then we want to hear from them Tim Wass, RSPCA

It dealt with a total of 11,586 abandoned animals in 2008, compared to 7,347 in 2007.

The number of abandoned cats rose by 50% last year, while dogs increased by nearly a third.

The RSPCA is concerned that the trend will continue as a further 1,432 animals were abandoned in the first two months of 2009.

Mr Wass, chief officer of the RSPCA inspectorate, said that the dumping of animals "cannot be tolerated" and that help and advice is available for anyone in difficulty.

"If there are members of the public struggling to look after their animals then of course we want to hear from them, as do the other animal welfare charities," he said.

Among the animals the RSPCA received calls about last year were two cats dumped in a drawstring bag and a litter of puppies found dead in a shoebox.

Last year, the charity also experienced a 52% increase in the number of calls it received from members of the public wanting to give up an animal.

The rise in the number of animals needing assistance comes at the same time as the charity is finding itself under financial pressure.

Income from legacies has suffered in line with the fall in property prices and the charity expects the recession to reduce donations from the public.

It has warned that it may have to consider cutting jobs.

The charity is using the start of its RSPCA Week to urge the public to donate towards its rehabilitation and re-homing work, or to consider volunteering.