Animal welfare charity, RSPCA has said it’s “begging” people not to dump their pets amid rising concerns about neglect and abandonment.

The charity shared that it saw a 25% rise in the number of abandonment incidents being dealt with by its rescue teams this year, along with a 13% increase in neglect incidents.

The RSPCA has said it is working hard to keep pets in loving homes this Christmas by supporting those struggling.

It comes as their new appeal is asking that those who can donate to join the Christmas Rescue, sharing that “any contribution could make the difference between life and death for animals this winter”.

RSPCA urge people not to dump pets this Christmas

In recent weeks, the RSPCA, have rescued three eight-week-old puppies, including one who died, dumped in a food waste bin in Kent, four puppies dumped in a garden in Warrington, and a puppy in a carrier bag in West Yorkshire.

The charity has also rescued five puppies with their umbilical cords still attached abandoned in a box in London, two cats who had been abandoned after giving birth to kittens in the West Midlands, and nine rabbits dumped in a wheelie bin in Nottinghamshire.

RSPCA’s most recent figures show that from the start of the year until October, RSPCA rescuers dealt with 13,159 incidents of abandonment, seeing an increase of 10,519 of the same figures from 2021.

Dermot Murphy, who heads the RSPCA frontline rescue teams, said: “We’re extremely sympathetic to anyone struggling with rising costs at this difficult time but we’re begging people not to dump their pets.

“It is never the answer. Please, please ask for help.

“We’ve sadly seen a shocking rise in the number of incidents of animal abandonment and neglect our rescuers are dealing with.

“My fear is that we’ll see increasing cases of animals neglected and abandoned this Christmas as families struggle with soaring bills.

“We are doing what we can to help, especially trying to keep pets in loving homes, but we are struggling too.

“Our branches and centres are full to bursting and we have hundreds of pets waiting to get in. We really need animal lovers to help us get through this crisis time.”

The charity also shared that there are pet food banks available to help struggling owners, seeing tens of thousands of meals already being donated, transported, and given out.

There is also dedicated cost-of-living support being offered by the RSPCA with a recently opened telephone helpline to support callers who are worried about the cost-of-living crisis and a dedicated cost-of-living hub with practical help and advice on the website.

Murphy added: “We’re appealing to people who are in the position to donate to please join the Christmas Rescue at a time when any contribution could make the difference between life and death for animals this winter.”